The United Nations Security Council approved this Monday (2) a one-year mission led by Kenya to combat gangs in Haiti. The decision comes almost a year after the Haitian government’s appeal to the international community for help to contain violence by criminal groups that have taken control of significant parts of the country.
The resolution, voted under number 2699, was approved with 13 votes in favor, China and Russia abstained. Named a Multinational Security Support Mission, the military intervention will not be an official UN mission and the organization’s member countries will not be obliged to contribute financially to it.
Resources for the mission will come from voluntary contributions from participating countries. Initially authorized for a period of one year, the execution of the mission will undergo a planned review after nine months. The United States, which led the initiative, demonstrated its commitment to donating US$200 million (R$1 billion) to the mission, with half of this amount coming from the Department of Defense.
Led by Kenya, the mission will involve military and police forces, with the aim of ensuring the security of government facilities such as ports and airports, as well as supporting the local police force in operations against gangs. The mission will also seek to strengthen the capacity of the Haitian police, which is facing a significant loss in its contingent.
Approval of the mission is seen as a significant victory for Joe Biden’s government, which sought international support after failing to persuade Canada to lead the initiative. UN Secretary-General António Guterres proposed non-UN intervention, acknowledging past concerns with peacekeeping operations in Haiti.
The vote comes after months of diplomatic efforts by the US, which has expressed concerns about the possibility of a mass exodus of Haitians and the complete takeover of the country by gangs, who currently control around 80% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The text of the resolution highlights the need to “address the political causes of instability in Haiti” and emphasizes that the “mission will not replace the political dialogue necessary to move towards elections”.
Countries such as Italy, Spain, Mongolia, Senegal, Belize, Suriname, Guatemala and Peru expressed their support for the mission, pledging to help with the sending of personnel, equipment and financing.
The mission is expected to play a crucial role in restoring stability in Haiti, which is facing a constitutional crisis and has not held national elections since 2016.
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