Tensions could destabilize Haiti

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, April 3 (UPI) -- A U.N. report says tensions in Haiti could destabilize the country if leaders don't increase their efforts and engage in the political process.

The United Nations is urging leaders in Haiti and the international community to step up efforts to restore stability to avoid slipping into violence. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a report saying there have been strides made towards judicial reform and also establishing a new electoral council. But Ban raised concerns about security and the potential for Haiti to face a return of gang violence, the United Nations reported.

"It is imperative that all those involved in the stabilization of Haiti redouble their efforts to enable the country to seize this historic opportunity to emerge from the destructive cycles of the past," Ban wrote in the report. " … The institutions of governance continued to suffer from a lack of qualified personnel, poor infrastructure and limited resources."

Ban warned leaders in Haiti to avoid tensions between political actors that are distracting from the reform agenda and a sustained peace.