Despite repeated requests for assistance from the United Nations and Haiti to stop the escalating violence in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the United States, and Canada—the two nations most frequently touted as potential leaders of an international military force to help Haiti confront gangs—showed little interest in dispatching security forces on Tuesday.
Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador, reminded the UN Security Council that, “Haiti must address its continued insecurity challenges,” and urged other nations to aid the country in its endeavors.
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Robert Rae, Canada’s UN ambassador, stated that lessons must be taken from all prior military operations in Haiti, which failed to bring about the nation’s long-term stability, and that any future solutions “must be led by Haitians and by Haitian institutions.”
Haiti’s Council of Ministers and Prime Minister Ariel Henry issued an urgent plea on October 7 requesting “”the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to halt the crisis that has been exacerbated in part by “criminal actions of armed gangs.”
Although the request was made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, no nations responded more than three months later.
The secretary-call generals were reinforced by Helen La Lime, the UN special envoy for Haiti, who informed the council that “gang-related violence has reached levels not seen in years.”
She noted that murders and kidnappings rose for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, with killings up a third to 2,183 and affecting all facets of society, including a former presidential candidate and the head of the National Police Academy. There were 1,359 kidnappings, more than double the amount in 2021 and an average of around four per day.
La Lime said that on the political front, “there is not one elected official left in the country,” after the terms of the final 10 senators who are still in office on January 9 expired.
While she acknowledged that this is a “profound challenge,” it also presents a chance for Haitians to examine and solve the underlying factors contributing to the nation’s dysfunction.
The UN representative cited two significant events: the Security Council’s consensus adoption of a resolution in October that imposed sanctions on people and organizations that threatened the country’s peace and stability, beginning with a strong gang leader, and the signing on December 21 of a “National Consensus Agreement for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections” by a wide range of political, civilian, religious, trade union, and private sector officials.
According to La Lime, the agreement lays out a timeline for the installation of an elected administration by February 2024, as well as immediate measures to advance budgetary reforms and boost state income. According to her, the administration would collaborate with a High Transitional Council to nominate candidates for the nation’s top court.
La Lim stated that the deal, whose supporters are increasing daily, is “the most promising sign to emerge from dialogue efforts until now.
” With the UN sanctions, it offers a clear path to the restoration of democracy and legitimacy,” she claimed.
La Lime, however, asserted that a crucial third component—the deployment of an international, specialized force—is required to support the police, sanctions, and transition.
She stated that, “the very positive effects of the political process and the sanctions so far, will remain fragile and vulnerable to being reversed,” in the absence of an international force.
Antonio Rodrigue, the UN ambassador for Haiti, noted ongoing initiatives to carry out the agreement but described the present state as “an emergency” and cautioned that reestablishing security is necessary before the country can advance.
He cautioned, “Without security, we cannot have fair, transparent, and democratic elections nor can we restore the normal functioning of institutions in the country.”
Secretary-General Guterres has once again called for the prompt deployment of an international force, “to help us suppress the gangs and allow us to finalize the process of bringing democratic order back to our country,” and Rodrigue has asked the international community to heed this demand.
Rodrigue declared that the situation demanded action. He added, “we cannot wait, and the security situation could worsen any day, and worsen the fate of the people who are already suffering terribly.”
Regarding suffering, UN envoy La Lime informed the council that throughout the current cholera outbreak, gangs have purposefully restricted access to food, water, and health facilities and that over 5 million Haitians nationwide are suffering from severe hunger.
