The last group of Brazilian soldiers slated to join the 5th contingent of the United Nations (UN) Peace Force in Haiti left the Recife Air Base yesterday, June 4, on their way to that Caribbean island country.
The 144 soldiers, from various Army units in the Northeastern states of Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Norte, spent four months undergoing rigorous training, including simulated confrontations.
The 5th contingent is made up of 850 troops. Their job is to continue the effort to pacify conflicts and maintain public order in Haiti.
They are also supposed to control the urban violence the country has faced since the beginning of the political crisis that erupted during the administration of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide, who was ousted in 2004 after a popular uprising.
The UN, which is in charge of the country’s security, calculates that with this year’s election of president René Préval, who received over 60% of the votes, the situation in Haiti will become stable once again.
The Brazilian troops are scheduled to return to Brazil in December.
ABr