Delegates Objecting to Peacekeeping Mission Cite No 'Peace to Keep', Failure of Past Missions
With extreme levels of gang violence continuing to erode state authority in Haiti and no improvement in sight, a senior United Nations official urged Member States to boost their contributions to the acutely under-resourced Multinational Security Support Mission at an open briefing held by the Security Council to discuss a proposal to transform that Support mission - authorized by the 15-member body in 2023 to assist the Haitian National Police - into a UN peacekeeping operation.
"Haiti is at dire crossroads," said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. He voiced concern over slow progress on Haiti's road map for restoring democratic institutions and underlined the need to complete the appointment of all nine members of Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council to ensure that general elections can be held in 2025. On 11 November, he stated that the Transitional Presidential Council appointed a new Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé - the fourth Prime Minister to hold office during this political transition.
The security crisis continues to intensify, he said, citing a series of shocking incidents taking place on the day of the new Prime Minister's installation, with four commercial aircraft struck by gang-related gunfire, resulting in the closing of Port-au-Prince's international airport. Meanwhile, armed gangs have made territorial advances in strategic areas and now control an estimated 85 per cent of the capital, he said, noting that Haitians are increasingly taking justice into their own hands. He described the humanitarian situation as "severe", pointing to the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) observation of "a staggering rise in displacement" in recent weeks, with 20,000 people fleeing gang violence in just four days in November, on top of the approximately 700,000 internally displaced persons in Haiti as of September 2024.
Turning to the Multinational Security Support mission, deployed on 25 June, he pointed out that it is unable to demonstrate its full potential, with just over 400 of the initially planned 2,500 personnel currently deployed. While the UN Trust Fund for the Multinational Security Support mission has a pledged amount of $96.8 million, he stressed: "Much more is needed; and it is needed now." Without an increase in voluntary contributions, there is a real risk that it "will never be fully equipped, fully deployed or able to sustain its support for the Haitian National Police", he added, noting that any further delays or operational gaps would present a catastrophic risk of the collapse of national security institutions.
Recalling the request by former President of the Transitional Presidential Council Edgard Leblanc Fils, on 26 September, to consider the transformation of the Support mission into a UN peacekeeping operation, he emphasized the need for a sizable increase in internationally provided enhanced security support for the Haitian National Police; a robust mandate, coupled with Rules of Engagement; and more robust efforts to counter the illicit flow of drugs, weapons and ammunition. "There are no ideal options for addressing the severe and multifaceted crisis in Haiti," he stated, underscoring the need to turn commitments into action to prevent any further erosion of security and state authority.
"The many interconnected challenges that Haiti faces demand a multipronged approach that addresses the root causes of this sad situation," said Monica Juma, National Security Advisor to the President of Kenya. The Support mission confirms her country's assessment that it is "a mission possible", she went on, stating that it is creating hope of a resumption of social services and a return to gainful economic activity in hitherto gang-controlled areas, and it is expected to play a critical role in facilitating forthcoming elections. However, "the deployment stands at a paltry 16 per cent of the planned total number of 2,500 personnel", she stated, adding: "The 413 boots on the ground from Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica and Kenya are too few for the task at hand."
The urgency for a surge in personnel deployment is evident, as demonstrated in October, when gangs coordinated attacks on multiple fronts, she said, looking forward to the deployment of troops from several countries. As well, she noted that 617 officers from her country are mission-ready and would be deployed when equipment and logistics are in place. Her country supported Haiti's request to consider transforming the Support mission into a peacekeeping operation in the near future, she said, stating that while such a move would ensure the mission is better resourced, it must be carefully executed to avoid any gaps that could undermine the security situation on the ground.
Also briefing the Council was Dr. Jean William (Bill) Pape, Director at Centres Gheskio and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Haiti, who said that grim statistics do not capture the human cost of living through the hellish reality that prevails in his country. Pointing to cases such as a 13-year-old girl whose baby his staff helped deliver after she was gang-raped "and was too young to understand what was happening to her own body" and the kidnapping of 26 of his institution's staff members in the past three years, as well as the abduction of his own son in November 2023 - "a tremendous ordeal for our family" - he underlined the need for a more robust international intervention. The Kenya-led Support mission is currently "outgunned and outnumbered", he stressed, warning of "a massive genocide" if nothing is done.
"Haiti has been under US and UN occupation for 21 of the last 30 years, from 1994 to 2000," declared Dan Cohen, investigative journalist and filmmaker, pointing out that "those two-plus decades of occupation never achieved their stated goals". These UN troops were responsible for crimes against the Haitian people, from the introduction of cholera to the rape of children, for which they were never held accountable, he said. The proposed UN intervention is, like the Support mission, "a violation of Haitian law and the UN Charter", he said, noting that his many visits to the country have made clear that most Haitians do not want another intervention.
In the ensuing debate, Council members and other speakers voiced alarm over unabated violence that continues to grip the Caribbean nation. However, views diverged on how the international community should support the country, with some States, including China and the Russian Federation - who requested the meeting -reiterating their objections to transforming the Support mission into a peacekeeping operation - as proposed by Ecuador and the United States in a draft resolution.
China's delegate, noting the recent renewal of the Support mission's mandate by one year, stressed that the Council's work should be focused on promoting its early deployment and enabling it to play its role. Moreover, the deployment of a peacekeeping operation should be premised on "the fact that there is peace to keep", and "at present Haiti […] does not meet peace conditions", he underscored, adding that UN peacekeepers would be exposed to great security risks given the current situation.
"Conditions on the ground in Haiti are not appropriate for UN peacekeeping operations" whose role is not to fight crime in urban areas or to save a dysfunctional State that has been plunged into domestic conflict, echoed the Russian Federation's delegate. "Haitians need urgent assistance right now," he added, urging immediate provision of necessary material, technical or financial assistance to them. He criticized the United States, who, "for centuries, has been engaging in blatant external interference in Haiti". Noting the co-penholders' "surprising" resolution, he said his delegation would be prepared to review updated views on support to Haiti, without taking any hasty decisions.
However, the United States' delegate, noting support from the host Government, Support mission leadership and the region for the Support mission's transitioning to a peacekeeping mission, said: "It is time for the Security Council to act to take the initial steps to realize Haiti's request to help re-establish security for the people of Haiti." For this reason, the United States and Ecuador are ready to move forward with requesting recommendations from the Secretary-General for the Council's consideration for deployment of a peacekeeping operation to succeed the Support mission in Haiti.
Similarly, the representative of Ecuador stressed: "There is no doubt about the need for Haiti to lead this process, but there is also no doubt that the multidimensional crisis in Haiti requires a comprehensive response, supported by the international community." The draft resolution on the table includes almost all of the proposals of 13 Council members who participated in an inclusive process in which two delegations declined to participate. This file cannot be politicized, he added, urging fellow Council members to "not turn their backs on Haiti", and the Latin American and Caribbean region.
"Without international support, there can be no return to security in Haiti," stressed the speaker for France, detailing his country's financial contributions to the country. Voicing support for the co-penholders' proposal, he said the UN's greater involvement would bring strategic and operational expertise and essential logistical support. Guyana's delegate, also speaking for Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, concurred, stressing: "Like the rest of us, Haitians deserve to live in a stable and secure country."
The United Kingdom's representative, Council President for November, speaking in his national capacity, said the request from the Haitian Transitional President Council to the Council deserves thorough consideration. The Council's next step should be to request, as a matter of urgency, a report from the Secretary-General with recommendations for this transition, including on scope, coverage, size, cost and mandate. "Only once we have this information can the Council seriously engage on the merits of the request," he stressed.
The Republic of Korea's delegate noted that a peacekeeping mission could be a viable option worth exploring, as it would provide sustainability, particularly in terms of funding and resources, a stance also taken by Switzerland's representative, who stated that her Government is "open" to examining the request to transform the Support mission.
The speakers for Slovenia, Malta and Japan struck a more cautious tone, with the latter stating that the proposal warrants careful consideration. Any endeavour must "earn the Haitian people's trust", he said, pointing out that a more detailed identification of resource needs by the Support mission and the Government will enable more targeted support, while an evaluation report on the mission's mandate implementation could accelerate international assistance.
For his part, Haiti's representative, outlined the extremely alarming security situation in his country in recent weeks, with armed gangs launching attacks on areas of the capital that have thus far been spared. "They are violent, and audacious, and they fear nothing," he stressed, pointing to the "terrifying abuses" they are committing, including murder, rape, abduction, and the burning of homes. The international airport of Port-au-Prince is closed, with armed gangs firing at aircraft carriers, and the Haitian people live in constant fear. The Haitian National Police and armed forces cannot push back the gangs, and the Support mission lacks the financial, human, and logistical resources to confront the scale of the threat, he said, underscoring the need for its full deployment of 2,500 troops.
Against this backdrop, he urged Council members to "say yes" to the call by Leslie Voltaire, President of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti, to transform the Support mission into a UN peacekeeping operation, noting that the request is supported by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Organization of American States (OAS).
"While we must acknowledge the past mistakes, we must not allow them to paralyse us," said the representative of Grenada, speaking for CARICOM. The request for a UN peacekeeping mission should be granted with urgency, he said, a view echoed by the speakers for the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Some States, including Canada and Mexico, also voiced support for the request, while urging States to strengthen the UN sanctions regime's implementation and arms embargo, with the latter adding that the new peacekeeping operation must take account of lessons learned from previous peace missions in the country.
