The long-running United Nations mission in Haiti officially ended on Thursday after 13 years, but its aim of restoring stability in the Caribbean nation has yet to be fully achieved. The end of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was marked by the lowering of the UN flag on its main military base in the presence of national authorities and diplomats.
"There is still much to do for Haiti to attain the stability and sustainable development to which everyone aspires," said Sandra Honore, who headed MINUSTAH for the past four years. The mission was deployed in 2004 to help stem political violence after the departure of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but it has not endeared itself to Haitians. Many Aristide supporters have long perceived the mission as something of an occupying army.
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