PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – The UN peacekeepers in Haiti have clashed with rebels and fought well-armed street gangs. Now they are taking shots from a new foe: musicians.

During Haiti’s carnival, the airwaves fill with songs lampooning the troubled Caribbean nation’s corrupt politicians and feckless police. But this year’s most popular target seems to be the UN force known by the acronym MINUSTAH for its formal name in French.

“MINUSTAH, you’re really just a tourista. You’re holding back my country,” the group Vwadezil sings in one popular and profanity-laced song. “You’re just lounging around so why don’t you get … out.”

Haiti’s government spent US$2 million (euro1.5 million) on this year’s carnival, hoping to use the event to lure tourists, especially Haitians living in the United States. The three-day event, which ends today, makes the bustling streets of downtown Port-au-Prince even more chaotic, with tens of thousands of rum-fuelled people dancing to live bands on floats.

Satirical songs known as “meringues” add a political dimension to the revellry, providing an opportunity for people to vent frustrations about the 9,000-strong UN force, which has recently become more aggressive in battling the gangs blamed for rampant kidnappings. On Sunday, UN troops patrolling the Cite Soleil slum captured a gang leader known as Ti Bazil.

Many Haitians feel the UN force, which combines soldiers and police from more than a dozen countries, has been too slow in restoring order to the country following the violent 2004 rebellion that toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

“MINUSTAH, you’ve invaded our country, you must make things better,” the popular group T-Vice warns in one of its meringues.

Other meringues accuse UN bureaucrats of spending more time dining in posh restaurants and sunning themselves on the beach than working to solve the poor country’s mountain of woes.

“Since the UN is now a part of our society, I touch upon it in my music,” the band Vwadezil’s lead singer, Fresh La, said in an interview. “They’re taking a long time to bring peace to the country, and that’s keeping us from moving forward.”

The former French colony has a long history of skewering public institutions during carnival, and the UN is not the only one on the rhetorical menu. Performers routinely grill crooked government officials, outgunned police and the kidnappers who prey on the impoverished population of eight million.

“We address every issue affecting the people, not just the US,” said Mass Power, the 28-year-old frontman of Show Off, a group calling for peacekeepers “to get out our country” in a song titled Forgetful Ingrates.

The UN mission takes the jabs in stride.

“I think it’s part of the Haitian tradition of carnival to make fun of things, even serious things,” said Edmond Mulet, the special UN representative to Haiti. “It’s a way of conveying some sentiments which are genuine and I don’t blame them for that. On the contrary, I think they should be welcomed.”

Some singers have caused problems for the UN, however.

At last year’s carnival, the group Demele performed a profanity-laced song that accused peacekeepers of stealing goats belonging to peasants. Despite denials by the UN mission, the accusation spread through the streets and became a common chant during anti-UN street protests.

“That song caused a lot of issues between MINUSTAH and the population,” said that group’s frontman, also known as Demele. He alleged that the offending lyric got him uninvited from this year’s carnival line-up.

UN officials and carnival organisers denied censoring any artistes.

“Musicians have the right to write any song they like,” said Yanick Louis, a member of the carnival’s artistic committee.

And despite the harsh tone of some songs, other artistes said they mean no offence.

“I ridicule the UN in the spirit of carnival, which is about having fun and letting go,” Vwadezil’s Fresh La said.