*Wyclef Jean addresses citizens of his native Haiti in a new radio ad that urges fellow countrymen to give up crime and work to improve the country, reports the Associated Press.

"If you love Wyclef, that means you love Haiti. So you should not be raping women, kidnapping people and children, because there can be no excuse for doing so," Jean said in Creole in the short ad sponsored by the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti

"I reject these evil practices," said the 35-year-old Jean, who also urged Haitian men to respect and protect women's rights.

Haitian police and U.N. authorities have noted a rise in crime over the past several weeks and are trying to counter a wave of kidnappings and crimes perpetrated by gangs in the capital and some provincial areas.

Official figures show 36 people were kidnapped for ransom in Port-au-Prince during March, and about 30 in February. The number had dropped to fewer than 20 a month.

The Grammy winner's ad runs several times a day on local stations in Haiti.