PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 12 (Reuters) - A U.N. peacekeeper from Nigeria was shot to death in the Haitian capital on Saturday as tensions fueled by riots over food prices simmered in the Caribbean country, a police officer and a Nigerian U.N. military officer said.

The Haitian police officer, who did not want to be identified, said the U.N. peacekeeper died during gunfire near the main Catholic cathedral in downtown Port-au-Prince.

A Nigerian commander of U.N. troops at the scene, who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the victim was a 36-year-old Nigerian soldier. (Reporting by Joseph Guyler Delva; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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