The UN investigated some of the claims in 2007, but said it could not substantiate claims of arms dealing, but UN insiders told the BBC’s Panorama they had been prevented from pursuing their inquiries for political reasons.

An 18-month BBC investigation for Panorama has found evidence that:

- Pakistani peacekeepers in the eastern town of Mongbwalu were involved in the illegal trade in gold with the FNI militia, providing them with weapons to guard the perimeter of the mines.

- Indian peacekeepers operating around the town of Goma had direct dealings with the militia responsible for the Rwandan genocide, now living in eastern DR Congo.

- The Indians traded gold, bought drugs from the militias and flew a UN helicopter into the Virunga National Park, where they exchanged ammunition for ivory.

The UN looked into the allegations concerning the Pakistani troops in 2007.

It concluded that one officer had been responsible for dealing in gold – allowing traders to use UN aircraft to fly into the town, putting them up at the UN base and taking them around the town.

The head of the UN peacekeeping operation in New York Jean-Marie Guehenno declared, “The investigation has found no evidence of gun smuggling. the UN decided that “in the absence of corroborative evidence” its investigators “could not substantiate the allegation” that Pakistani peacekeepers supplied weapons or ammunition to the militia.

UN insiders - close to the investigation – told the BBC they had been prevented from pursuing their inquiries for political reasons. The BBC’s Martin Plaut says that in short, the Pakistanis, who are the largest troop contributors to the UN in the world, were too valuable to alienate.

These are not the only allegations to have been brought against peacekeepers in DR Congo.
In December 2006, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Moroccan troops had been involved in widespread sexual abuse. “There have been crimes such as rape, pedophilia and human trafficking,” he said, shortly before leaving office.

Didier Bourguet, the U.N. senior official who was charged with running an Internet pedophile ring in the Congo, continues to escape imprisonment by hiding behind the French “justice” system

Several witnesses including two jailed FNI leaders known as “Kung-fu” and “Dragon”, have stated publicly that they received help from the UN. The FNI has been described by Human Rights Watch as “some of the most murderous individuals that operate in eastern Congo”.

The UN peacekeeping operation in DR Congo is the largest in the world, with 17,000 troops, spread across the country.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7365283.stm

The demonstrators outside the presidential palace said the rising cost of living in Haiti meant they were struggling to feed themselves. “We are hungry,” they shouted before attempting to smash open the palace gates with metal bins.

Overwhelmed guards struggled to hold back the crowd until U.N. peacekeepers arrived. UN troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Several people are reported to have been injured in the clashes.

Les Cayes
Thousands took to the streets and went on the rampage in the town of Les Cayes, last week, blocking roads, looting shops and shooting at UN peacekeepers. The UN said its personnel had opened fire at some of the armed protesters.

A small group of protesters broke into the Les Cayes UN compound and damaged its gate. Some also fired shots at peacekeepers deployed in the town in an attempt to maintain public order. The UN troops fired back in response. The ensuing unrest left three dead in Les Cayes, including one young man who demonstrators said was fatally shot in the head by the UN peacekeepers.

The UN said it was investigating the death. At least five people have been killed in Haiti since the unrest began

Government
The protesters demanded the resignation of President Rene Preval, who came to power two years ago promising to restore peace to a country torn apart by fighting between rival armed gangs. Mr Preval is believed to have been inside the palace at the time.
Violence in Haiti has often been linked to poverty with more than half the population surviving on less than a dollar a day. New customs procedures aimed at collecting revenues and stopping the flow of drugs has left tons of food rotting in ports In a country where almost all food is imported, cargo traffic from Miami has ground nearly to a halt.
Critics say both Mr Preval and the international community have focused too much on political stability and not enough on helping to alleviate poverty and now growing hunger. Government officials say the riots are being manipulated by outside forces, more specifically drug smugglers.

United Nations

The protesters are also focusing their anger on the 9,000 or so UN peacekeepers sent to Haiti in 2004 under Resolution 1542 which established the ‘UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)”

. Their mission was to quell the chaos that followed the ousting of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the country’s first democratically elected leader.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Around 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day.