The interim prime minister of Haiti has called for further international assistance to help restore safety and security, stating that the Caribbean nation is still far from overrunning armed groups that have taken over significant areas of land.
At a gathering held in conjunction with the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Garry Conille stated, “We are nowhere near winning this, and the simple reality is that we won’t without your help.”
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“There is a sense of urgency because the Haitian people are watching with cautious optimism, they’re really hoping to see clear results,” he stated.
Years of conflict between strong-armed factions, many of whom had connections to the nation’s corporate and political elite, have left Haiti reeling from the loss of land and influence.
But when the gangs began attacking prisons and other government buildings across Port-au-Prince, the situation quickly became worse toward the end of February.
As a result of the increase in violence, the UN-backed multinational police force headed by Kenya was sent in, the unelected prime minister of Haiti resigned, and the interim presidential council was established.
Ten nations have committed over 3,100 soldiers to the multinational force, which is officially called the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), although only about 400 of those soldiers have deployed.
The UN Security Council will decide on whether to extend the mission’s one-year term on September 30. The mission’s current mandate ends in early October.
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, has emphasized that the financing for the mission and the Haitian National Police, “remains totally inadequate”.
He made a declaration, “I urge all those who have made financial commitments to deliver on them urgently.” He added, “We must keep working to mobilize sufficient resources for the mission and for the humanitarian response in Haiti.”
According to UN estimates, the violence and instability have forced over 700,000 Haitians to flee their homes; many of them are now living in improvised camps in Port-au-Prince. Many Haitians have also been forced to leave the nation in search of safety due to the unrest.
In the meantime, the MSS’s principal supporter, the United States, has been pressing for increased resources and manpower to strengthen the force.
The United States State Department said on September 25, 2024, that it will be providing an extra $160 million in “development, economic, health, and security assistance for the Haitian people”.
President William Ruto of Kenya, who visited Haiti over the weekend to evaluate the status of the Kenya-led effort, endorsed that proposed modification.
In Port-au-Prince on September 24, 2024, Ruto stated, “On the suggestion to transit this into a fully UN peacekeeping mission, we have absolutely no problem with it, if that is the direction the UN Security Council wants to take.”
Yet a lot of Haitians are still leery of UN involvement because they believe that previous deployments have done more harm than good.
For instance, a UN peacekeeping post was connected to a catastrophic cholera epidemic in 2010, and UN personnel in Haiti were also accused of sexual assault and rape.
Leaders of Haiti’s civic society have cautiously hailed the global operation as a vital addition to the battle against gangs. However, they have also emphasized that using force alone would not be the only way to tackle the nation’s issues.
They have demanded an end to corruption, increased training and assistance for Haiti’s national police force, and a political process headed by Haitians.
