December 2 4, 2005: During 18 months of UN peacekeeping, ten peacekeepers have been killed. There are currently about 9,000 peacekeepers on duty. Over a hundred have been wounded or injured in action. The peacekeepers have been unable to shut down the criminal activity that dominates most of the country. The UN is unable to muster additional peacekeepers. There will thus be pressure to get the peacekeepers out after the elections next month. No point in spending all that peacekeeping money on failure. The peacekeeping force has not been used aggressively, and is determined to keep its casualties as low as possible. Anything the peacekeepers do will get them attacked by one faction or another, because most political parties have allies who are armed and involved in criminal activities.
December 20, 2005: A Canadian peacekeeper was shot dead in the capital. He was a retired policeman and apparently investigating criminal activities.
December 16, 2005: Three UN peacekeepers were injured during an ambush. The Chilean troops were patrolling outside Cape Haitien. It's not known if the attackers were criminals, or one of the armed political groups.
December 10, 2005: The provisional government removed five Supreme Court justices. This was apparently in retaliation for the ten justices of the court allowing a presidential candidate, with dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship, to run for president. The candidate, Dumarsais Simeus, is a leading contender, and a threat to the other leading candidate, former President Rene Preval. Simeus is seen as a threat to most Haitian politicians, as he vows to make a real attempt to clean up the corruption in Haitian politics. Simeus is seen as influenced by American politics, where they actually prosecute and jail corrupt politicians. Most Americans are unaware of it, but this custom of prosecuting crooked politicians is one of the most jarring cultural differences facing immigrants to America. But as mister Simeus, a businessman, has noted, this relative lack of corruption in the U.S. is a major reason who the American economy thrives, while Haiti is mired in poverty.
December 6, 2005: A Czech missionary was kidnapped, and is being held for $50,000 ransom. This sort thing is increasingly common, and aid agencies are pulling back on their aid efforts because of it.
