The UN ends one mission in Haiti. But has it done its job?

The long-running United Nations mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, officially ended on Thursday after 13 years, after the UN Security Council decided that the Caribbean nation is now "stable enough" for them to leave.

The mission was deployed in 2004 to help stem political violence after the departure of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

But can Haiti sustain peace and stability on its own? Not everyone is convinced. 

TRT World's Anelise Borges travelled to Haiti for a series of reports about the country, and the UN’s legacy there.

The UN lowered its flag at its headquarters in Port-au-Prince during a ceremony last Thursday that was attended by President Jovenel Moise, who thanked the organisation for helping to provide stability. After a gradual winding down, there are now about 100 international soldiers in the country and they will leave within days. The mission will officially end on October 15.

Immediately afterward, the UN will start a new mission made up of about 1,300 international civilian police officers, along with 350 civilians who will help the country reform a deeply troubled justice system. Various agencies and programs of the international body, such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation, will also still be working in the country.

INUSTAH began operations in Haiti in 2004, when a violent rebellion swept the country and forced then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of power and into exile. Its goals included restoring security and rebuilding the shattered political institutions. In April, the Security Council deemed the country sufficiently stable and voted to wind down the international military presence, which then consisted of about 4,700 troops.

Many Haitians have viewed the multinational peacekeepers as an affront to national sovereignty. UN troops are believed to have inadvertently introduced the deadly cholera bacteria to the country and have also been accused of causing civilian casualties in fierce battles with gangs in Port-au-Prince and of sexually abusing minors.

But the mission, with additional help from the US and other nations, is also credited with stabilising the country, particularly after the January 2010 earthquake, and building up the national police force.