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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The governments of Brazil and Ecuador have agreed to help Haiti set up a new army to replace the U.N. peacekeepers that have patrolled the island since 1994.
Haiti's President Michel Martelly has been pushing the idea of reconstituting Haiti's army for almost a year, saying Haitians would prefer to have their country protected by its own troops rather than United Nations soldiers.
Brazil's Defence Ministry confirmed it was prepared to help Haiti in everything it needs to restore its army, including military training and engineering.
Brazil, which heads the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, will send a military team to Haiti in the next two to three weeks to assess the situation, the spokesperson said.
Martelly personally requested Brazil's support during a visit by President Dilma Rousseff to Haiti earlier this year.
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