Both countries argued for a shorter mission of just six months. During the debate, the Russian government warned that it did not agree with the lack of transparency about the operation of the mission and called for an investigation into the arms smuggling.
But the fact that the mission was led by Africans ultimately convinced both countries not to veto the initiative. Another factor that ultimately pushed the negotiations forward was the inclusion of concrete measures to combat arms smuggling into Haiti. A significant portion of this supply comes from USbased corporations.
Still, the meeting marked a rare moment in which the Council actually managed to reach an agreement. With the war in Ukraine, the main powers began to diverge on all international issues.
According to the United Nations, nearly 3,000 people have died in violence in Haiti since October last year. Meanwhile, thousands of families left the most dangerous regions of the country where the state had suspended its activities.
Questions about the mission
But Haitian civil society groups are also viewing the new mission with suspicion. According to them, the gangs have been making deals with political parties since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.