OTTAWA, Dec. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A Canadian peacekeeper was killed Tuesday during an ambush in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince.

    Retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Mark Bourque and another peacekeeper were patrolling in a Port-au-Prince slum when they were ambushed by two unknown gunmen. Their car came under intense fire and Bourque was fatally wounded in the leg, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported citing Damien Anses Cardona of the United Nations Stabilization Mission as saying.

    Bourque, 57, later died in hospital. The other policeman escaped injury, Cardona said.

    Prime Minister Paul Martin issued a statement condemning "this senseless act of violence." Mr. Bourque "was in Haiti as part of Canada's efforts to promote good governance and democracy, and his work there exemplified to the world the finest of Canada's values," said the statement.

    Bourque is the seventh peacekeeper who has been killed in Haiti since the UN mission began in June of 2004. He was one of 25 retired police officers that Canada sent to the Caribbean country in October to join the UN mission that has been trying to provide stability before a national election. There are another 100 Canadian regular police officers working with the UN.

    The United Nations is investigating the incident.

    Haiti's presidential and legislative election was initially scheduled for mid-November, but it has been repeatedly postponed due to street violence and other problems. It is now scheduled to take place early in 2006. Enditem