GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Haiti is counting on U.N. troops to disarm thousands of militiamen who kept their weapons following a February rebellion, the island’s prime minister said Friday.
Haitian police and the U.S.-led peacekeeping force have struggled to disarm the fighters since the Feb. 29 resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who left the country. U.N. troops are expected to arrive in Haiti next week to aid the process of restoring complete peace and rebuild the government. The 1,900 U.S. Marines current in the country will return home by the end of June. Prime Minister Gerard Latortue said at a news conference at the Latin America-EU summit here there currently are about 15,000 armed pro-Aristide forces and about 800 ex-rebels.