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Monday, April 16, 2007
After months of trying to get gang members in Haiti to turn in their arms, official figures reveal that there are still hundreds of thousands of illegal arms still circulating the streets. A latest report from an investigation undertaken by a SWISS non governmental group, states that as many as 250000 illegal arms can be found in Haiti, making violent crime an almost unconquerable phenomenon in that country. Despite the UN backed programme for disarmament which encourages gang members to turn in their weapons and benefit from a reintegration programme, only some 300 persons have responded to the offer which provides professional training and counseling services. Pierre Esperance of the Haitian Coalition for Human Rights said that the programme is ineffective because many who take part in the program keep up with their criminal activities on the side.
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