UN Authorizes Haiti Security Force for Another Year, According to Reuters

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council reached a unanimous decision on Monday to extend the authorization for an international security force in Haiti for another year to combat armed gangs. However, a proposal from the United States to transition this force into a U.N. peacekeeping mission was excluded from the resolution due to objections from Russia and China.

Currently, the U.S. is focusing on supporting a recent General Assembly call by Edgard Leblanc, the head of Haiti’s transition council, for a U.N. peacekeeping mission. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, indicated that the U.S. is prepared to respond to Haiti’s request and urged those expressing doubts to consider the perspectives of the Haitian government and its people.

Haitian leaders have recently highlighted increasing insecurity in the nation, where powerful gangs, heavily armed with weapons primarily trafficked from the United States, have formed a united front, controlling significant portions of the capital and expanding their influence.

Haiti’s U.N. Ambassador, Antonio Rodrigue, emphasized to the council that transitioning the security mission into a peacekeeping operation is not only necessary but urgent. He argued that such a change would ensure stable funding and allow for enhanced capabilities to address the severe challenges facing Haiti.

While the U.N. Security Council has approved the security mission, it is not classified as a U.N. operation at this time and relies on voluntary contributions. Progress toward restoring order has been limited, with only 400 police officers from Kenya deployed on the ground and ongoing funding shortages.

China and Russia, both veto-wielding members of the council alongside the U.S., France, and Britain, expressed the view that the international security mission should be given additional time to establish itself. China’s deputy U.N. Ambassador, Geng Shuang, stated that exploring alternative options at this juncture could hinder the mission’s implementation, adding that peacekeeping operations are not a cure-all. He also pointed out that the conditions in Haiti do not currently support the deployment of peacekeeping troops.

Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, remarked that it is premature to discuss any changes to the mission, asserting that a solution to the criminal issues faced by Haiti cannot rely solely on military action. He called for immediate measures to combat the influx of weapons, particularly from the U.S.

Haiti’s gangs are currently under a U.N. arms embargo. U.N. peacekeepers were sent to Haiti in 2004 following a rebellion that led to the removal of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. They departed in 2017, leaving behind U.N. police forces, which eventually withdrew in 2019.

The presence of armed U.N. forces in Haiti has generated apprehension among the population. The country previously experienced a cholera outbreak in 2010, which was linked to infected sewage dumped by U.N. peacekeepers, resulting in over 9,000 deaths and approximately 800,000 cases of illness.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged the importance of learning from the past to prevent repeated mistakes, viewing the current situation as an opportunity to address historical wrongs and improve the perception of international missions in Haiti.