Published:April 15th, 2008 02:30 EST

Haiti peacekeepers condemn murder of police officer

New York, NY -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti has strongly condemned Saturday's murder of a Nigerian police officer serving with its operation, which took place two days after another gun attack on UN blue helmets amid continuing violent unrest in the impoverished Caribbean country because of a recent spike in food prices.

The officer, a 36-year-old father, was with three other members of his formed police unit (FPU) near the cathedral in the Bel-Air district of the capital, Port-au-Prince, when he was dragged from his car and shot dead execution-style, according to the mission (known as http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minustah/ (MINUSTAH).

The mission said it has already opened an inquiry into the killing in collaboration with Haitian police officers. MINUSTAH "will pursue the authors of this abject crime with the strongest determination," it added.

Last Thursday, three UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka were shot while on patrol in the capital, but their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The attacks have occurred during a time of widespread public protests against the rising cost of living in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. On Saturday members of the national Senate voted to dismiss Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis.

In a separate statement MINUSTAH said it hoped a new government could be quickly formed and Haiti could return to its efforts to rebuild after years of misrule and suffering.

"The reform process must continue. At the same time, Haitians must work together to consolidate the stability and the progress which they have realised."

Source: http://www.un.org/news