United Nations: United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved immediate deployment of a multinational force for an initial period of three months to bring order in Haiti, hours after President Jean Bertrand Aristide was forced out by a bloody rebellion and international pressure.

The resolution gives a legal mandate for nations to send in troops for upto three months after which a UN stabilisation force is expected to take over.

Authorising the force to "contribute to a secure and stable environment" in the country, the 15-member Council last night (Feb 29, 2004) urged all sides to the conflict to cease violence.

The American marines have already reached Haiti from where large-scale violence and looting has been reported and French troops are expected to reach the Caribbean shortly as a part of the multinational force.

Among others Canada and Brazil are expected to contribute the troops. Originally, the Council was considering authorising the force for two months but agreed to three months after Secretary-General Kofi Annan told members that the two months period is too short.

Annan, who was in the Security Council chamber for the vote, said that the decision sent a signal to the Haitian people "that the international community has not forgotten them".

"We understand their need and we are standing by them in their hour of need," he said. "The international community will do whatever it can to help stabilize the situation. I know some of them may think it's a bit late, but it's always better late than never and we will do what we can to support them."

The resolution said the situation in Haiti constitutes a "threat to international peace and security" and to the stability in the Caribbean, especially through the potential outflow of people to other States in the sub-region.

It authorizes "a multinational interim force" to remain in the lawless Caribbean nation for "not more than three months" to help restore stability and security and to support the constitutional political process under way in Haiti. The Security Council will then be prepared to establish a U N peacekeeping force to remain in Haiti for a longer, unspecified period, it said.

The Council acted with alacrity and met in a rare emergency session yesterday night after receiving an appeal from the Haitian Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre seeking "urgent support" from the international community to assist in restoring peace and security.

Alexandre was sworn in as the Haiti's new leader yesterday after Aristide left the country.