UN says soldier killed in its Haiti peacekeeping mission

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A UN soldier was killed Saturday in the Haitian capital, the recent site of deadly riots over rising food prices, according to a mission spokeswoman. UN troops did not return fire after the soldier was shot, spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe said. The soldier was a member of a 1,000-strong unit that deals with riots, she said. She had no further details. Protesters have clashed with UN soldiers this week and have blamed the government for a failure to create jobs and control soaring food prices. Haiti's Senate on Saturday ousted Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis over the handling of the crisis. A small group that gathered near the Port-au-Prince marketplace said troops had fired tear gas at them. They chanted "Down with MINUSTAH," referring to the French acronym for the UN force. A small fire burned nearby as vendors gathered their belongings.