Uruguay clears peacekeepers accused of misconduct

Uruguay said Thursday a joint probe with the United Nations found no evidence that Uruguayan soldiers from the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti committed "serious misconduct" in a bar in neighboring Dominican Republic.

The government, which launched the investigation in October, did not provide details about the allegations or the number of soldiers who were accused over the unspecified incident in Dajabon province.

"The accusations were made by local media whose journalists cited anonymous sources and public rumors," Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said in a statement.

"Neighbors, the prosecutor's office and the governor emphatically deny that the allegations are true," he said.

In another incident, four Uruguayan sailors were detained in September on charges of assaulting a Haitian man in 2011. Sexual assault allegations were thrown out.

Uruguay contributes almost 1,000 soldiers to the United Nations mission in Haiti, the biggest contingent.