A senior U.N. official urged the international community on Wednesday to make good on its commitments to fund and equip a multinational security force in Haiti, which is struggling to help the Haitian National Police subdue armed gangs who are terrorizing the population, while some nations want to transform the multinational force into a U.N. peacekeeping force.
“Without a substantial and sustained increase in voluntary contributions from member states, there is a real risk that the MSS will never be fully equipped, fully deployed or able to sustain its support for the Haitian National Police,” Miroslav Jenca, U.N. assistant secretary-general, told Security Council members, using the acronym for the Multinational Security Support mission.
He said the mission requires a “sizable increase” in weapons, equipment and specialized expertise that the Haitian National Police lack.
“This must be accompanied by efforts to build up national police capabilities to support the government in sustainably delivering security,” Jenca said.
He said efforts must also be made to stem the illicit flow of drugs, weapons and ammunition and to curb corruption. He urged the council to utilize sanctions to their “full potential” to address the root causes of gang violence.
“Any further delays or operational gaps in providing international security support to the Haitian National Police, whether through the MSS or bilateral assistance, present a catastrophic risk of collapse of national security institutions,” Jenca cautioned.
“This could lead to a complete breakdown of state authority, rendering international operations and the support to Haitians in need in the country untenable.”
Jenca acknowledged that there are no ideal options for addressing the spiraling situation in Haiti.
“But as time passes and the situation deteriorates, we are left with less options, and the Haitian people are left with less hope,” he said. “It is high time we turn commitments into action to prevent any further erosion of security and state authority in Haiti.”
The MSS is led by Kenya, which has contributed most of the 416 police officers who have deployed to Haiti since June. The misson’s full strength has been set at 2,500 police, but equipment and funding challenges have tempered contributions. So far, only Kenya, Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica have sent personnel.
Monica Juma, Kenyan President William Ruto’s national security adviser, told the council in a remote briefing that her government has 617 more police who are trained and ready to deploy. She said they need equipment and logistics to support their rapid deployment.
Calls for a UN force
The United States and Ecuador, the co-leads on Haiti on the 15-nation Security Council, want the MSS to become a U.N. peacekeeping operation. The current mission is not a U.N. one, but it does have Security Council authorization.
Haiti’s past experiences with U.N. peacekeeping missions have ended badly, and it was originally felt that a non-U.N. mission was a better idea. But a lack of funding, equipment and logistics has brought even Haiti’s struggling government around to the idea of a U.N. mission, which would benefit from sustainable funding and access to more resources.
Haitian Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue expressed his government’s support for a U.N. peacekeeping force, saying the armed gangs are becoming increasingly violent and fearless.
“They are committing terrifying abuse, murders, abductions, rapes and burning of homes,” he said. “Children, women and men are caught and entrapped in this indiscriminate violence.”
The United Nations says more than 700,000 people are displaced across Haiti, most from the capital, Port-au-Prince, where armed groups control 80% of neighborhoods. The International Organization for Migration said Monday that more than 20,000 people had been displaced across the capital area in just four days.
“This alarming situation really shows us that we need to call for the MSS to be transformed into a U.N. peacekeeping mission,” Haiti’s ambassador said.
“We are not just talking about restoring public order, we are talking about preserving human lives,” Rodrigue emphasized, adding that without security, there would be no economic, social or political progress.
“Haiti is at a crossroads — either the international community lends significant support, or it leaves the country to plunge further into violence with consequences that are bound to spill over across our borders,” he said.
Washington’s envoy said the U.S. and Ecuador are ready to move forward to take the initial step and ask the U.N. secretary-general to prepare recommendations on a peacekeeping mission to follow the MSS.
But not all council members have embraced the idea. Russia and China, which called for Wednesday’s council meeting, both expressed serious reservations about sending peacekeepers to Haiti, where there is a lack of peace to keep.
“Deploying a peacekeeping operation at this time is nothing more than putting peacekeepers into the front lines of battles with gangs,” said China’s Deputy Ambassador Geng Shuang. “This will expose peacekeepers to great security risks.”
The U.N. secretary-general has also not generally favored the idea, saying last year that it is an option of last resort.
Regional support
Several regional countries back the idea of a U.N. peacekeeping mission. The Organization of American States adopted its own resolution of support last week, while regional bloc CARICOM has also endorsed the idea.
Canada, one of the largest financial donors to the MSS, urged the council to move to create a mission that could succeed.
“We must act now,” Ambassador Bob Rae said. “Time is not our friend. It is not our friend. There is not a moment to lose.”
“Haiti is out of control, and it is a danger to the Haitian people and a constant threat to the Dominican Republic and the region,” said Dominican Ambassador Jose Alfonso Blanco Conde. His country shares the island with Haiti and supports a U.N. deployment.
Haiti has been rocked by instability since 2021, when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated. Prime Minister Ariel Henry then led the country until he announced his resignation in March.
A transitional government is now in place with the goal of organizing free and fair elections, but it has been beset by internal and external challenges. Haiti has not held elections since 2016.