[1/2]People fleeing gang violence seek shelter at a sports arena in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, September 1, 2023. Portal/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo Acquire License Rights
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2 (Portal) – The United Nations Security Council approved a foreign security mission to Haiti on Monday, a year after the Caribbean country asked for help in combating violent gangs that largely control its capital Port-au-Prince have overrun.
“This is more than just a simple vote, it is actually an expression of solidarity with a population in need,” Haiti’s Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus told the council. “It’s a glimmer of hope for people who have been suffering for too long.”
The 15-member council adopted a resolution drafted by the United States and Ecuador that authorizes the so-called Multinational Security Assistance Mission to “take all necessary measures” – a code of use of force.
China and Russia abstained from the vote over concerns about authorizing the blanket use of force under Chapter 7 of the founding charter of the United Nations. The remaining 13 members voted in favor.
“We have stepped up to create a new path to maintaining global peace and security, responding to the repeated calls of a Member State facing a multi-dimensional crisis amid an alarming spiral of gang violence,” said the senior US official. Diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis.
The Security Council also extended a UN arms embargo to all gangs – a measure sought by China. Haitian officials said the weapons used by gangs were believed to have been largely imported from the United States. Until now, the embargo only applied to certain people.
“This is a very important decision. “If the Council had taken this step earlier, the security situation in Haiti may not have deteriorated to the extent it is today,” China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun told the Council after the vote.
Response to Haiti’s request for assistance was delayed as it struggled to find a country willing to lead a security assistance mission. Kenya stepped forward in July with a pledge of 1,000 police officers. The Bahamas then committed 150 people, and Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda were also ready to help.
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After the council’s approval Monday, it was not immediately clear how quickly a force could be deployed.
“Today’s vote is just the first step. Now the work begins to get the mission off the ground,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement.
Although it is not sending troops, the U.S. government hopes to provide $100 million to support the multinational mission with logistical and financial assistance that could include intelligence, airlift, communications and medical support.
Countries were wary of supporting the unelected government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who said fair elections were not possible given the current uncertainty. Haiti has had no elected representatives since January.
The Security Council stressed the “urgent need” for Haiti to make progress toward “transparent, inclusive and credible electoral processes and free and fair elections.”
Although the security assistance mission is approved by the UN Security Council, it is not a United Nations operation.
UN peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after an uprising led to the overthrow and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The peacekeepers left in 2017 and were replaced by UN police, who left in 2019.
Haitians fear an armed UN presence. The Caribbean country was free of cholera until 2010, when UN peacekeepers dumped infected sewage into a river. More than 9,000 people died from the disease and around 800,000 became ill.
The Council resolution adopted Monday calls on countries participating in the security mission to “implement appropriate wastewater management and other environmental controls to prevent the introduction and spread of water-borne diseases.”
Reporting by Michelle Nichols, additional reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by Cynthia Osterman
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