Members of the UN Security Council have voiced their concern over the rising gang-led violence in Haiti.
During a meeting held on Wednesday, November 20, a section of the council members expressed that the police deployed for the mission could soon be outnumbered by the gangs.
Led by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča, the members stated that there was a need for countries to offer more financial support for the mission.
As explained by Jenča, more finances will enable more deployment of security personnel.
“The security crisis continues to intensify, he said citing a series of shocking incidents taking place on the day of the new Prime Minister’s installation, with four commercial aircraft struck by gang-related gunfire, resulting in the closing of Port-au-Prince’s international airport,” read the report in part.
“Meanwhile, armed gangs have made territorial advances in strategic areas and now control an estimated 85 per cent of the capital.”
On her part, President William Ruto’s Security Advisor Monica Juma, informed the council that 600 officers had already undergone training and were ready for deployment.
Nonetheless, she detailed that the deployment would only occur once equipment and logistics were in place.
“The deployment stands at a paltry 16 per cent of the planned total number of 2,500 personnel. The 413 boots on the ground from Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica and Kenya are too few for the task at hand,” Juma stated.
Meanwhile, proposals for the mission to be turned into a peacekeeping mission were met with resistance from China and Russia.
The United States proposed transitioning the multinational force to a U.N. peacekeeping mission in early September to address these financial issues. The goal was to secure regular funding through U.N. mechanisms and provide more sustainable logistical and personnel support. However, Russia and China raised objections, citing concerns about the conditions on the ground in Haiti, which they argue are not suitable for a peacekeeping operation.
“Deploying a peacekeeping operation at this time is nothing more than putting peacekeepers into the front line of the battles with gangs,” said China’s Deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang emphasized that peacekeepers should only be deployed when peace is already established, a situation not yet present in Haiti, where gang violence has led to widespread instability.
Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky echoed similar sentiments, expressing “shock and horror” over the violence in Port-au-Prince, but criticized the international community for failing to adequately fund the existing mission.
The fate of the Kenyan-led mission hangs in the balance of the cash crunch in the face of objections by China and Russia, both of whom are members of the powerful UN Security Council.
