Kumar Kirinde
Ref to the subject, the country of Haiti is described as a ‘failed state ‘and has been subjected to prolonged U.N. peacekeeping starting from 1993. It. Sri Lanka has contributed troops to U.N. missions in Haiti from 2004 to 2015. As per a recent article published in the ‘The Morning’ newspaper of 26th June , Sri Lanka is again planning to deploy 1,000 + personnel to Haiti. Going by what I gathered on Haiti’s history and the present ground situation, it’s going to be a tough call for our personnel who will be going there. The attached brief should give you a fair understating on why it will be a tough call.
BASIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION … highlights by Kumar
In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a Caribbean island in the West Indies. Upon landing, he called the island Española (“little Spain”). Today this island is known as Hispaniola, and it is divided into two separate sovereign countries: French and Haitian Creole–speaking Haiti and the Spanish–speaking Dominican Republic.
Of the two countries, Haiti was subjected to a U.S. occupation from 1915-1934. In the early 1990’s the country was described as a ‘failed state ‘and subjected to prolonged U.N. peacekeeping starting from 1993, which continues to date. In addition, a U.N. mandated multinational military operation in 1994 was carried out to remove the military regime installed after a coup d’état that overthrew the first freely-elected president.
On the other hand, the Dominican Republic is a successful state having the largest economy in the Caribbean and the seventh-largest in Latin America. The country is the most visited destination in the Caribbean. However, in the 20th century, the U.S. intervened in Dominican affairs at two distinct points in history. This day did, by occupying the country twice; first one from 1916-1924 to secure foreign debts and strategic World War I interests, and the other from 1965-1966 to prevent the rise of a communist government during a civil war.
A series of summaries were compiled to cover the histories of the island of Hispaniola, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, US occupation of Haiti, U.N. mandated military operation in Haiti and U.S. occupations of the Dominican Republic. Out of these summaries the one on history of Haiti was shared with you two months ago via a mail as given below. Attached herewith is the 2nd summary (of 6), which is on the history of the island of Hispaniola.
With kind regards, ….. Kumar
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ALSO SEE …………. https://www.army.lk/si/node/38798