UNITED NATIONS - Haiti and CARICOM have welcomed the decision of the United Nations Security Council to back a resolution authorizing the transition of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission for Haiti into a new Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
Haiti’s representative at the UN Security Council, Ericq PierreThe resolution was moved by the United States and Panama and by a vote of 12 in favor to none against, with three abstentions, namely China, Pakistan and the Russian Federation), the Council adopted the text as resolution 2793.
Through the resolution, the Council authorised member states to transition the MSS mission to the GSF for an initial period of 12 months and among other terms, the Security Council has decided that the GSF shall have an authorized personnel ceiling of 5,550, consisting of 5,500 uniformed personnel, comprised of both military and police and 50 civilians.
US Ambassador Michael Waltz said the resolution, undertaken in close collaboration with the Haitian authorities, offered new hope for the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country where criminal gangs have been seeking to overthrow the provisional government since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.
Waltz said that the resolution is “a key first step” to address the humanitarian and security crisis there, while Panama said “today we say to Haiti, once and for all, you are not alone.
“The result today allows us to have the necessary reconfiguration on the ground in order to face the gangs and, therefore, address the insecurity situation in the country”.
Panama said that the Haitian people “cannot wait any longer” adding “we are convinced that, with this initiative, the Security Council , on this occasion, is complying with its role as expressed in the UN Charter.”
Haiti’s representative Ericq Pierre said today’s decision to transform the MSS to the GSF “marks a decisive turning point in my country’s fight against one of the most serious challenges in its already turbulent history”.
Pierre said that while the MSS mission has been “a valuable support and a strong signal of international solidarity” he noted that “the reality on the ground has reminded us that the scale and sophistication of the threat far exceeds the mandate initially granted to this mission”.
He said today as the Security Council grants a stronger, more offensive and more operational mandate it “is giving the international community the means to respond to the gravity of the situation in Haiti”.
Speaking on behalf of the 15-member CARICOM grouping of which Haiti is a part, the Barbados representative said the critical objectives for Haiti can only be achieved if security is restored.
“In this regard, we wholeheartedly welcome the Security Council’s adoption today of this resolution as a fundamental step that responds to the urgency of the security situation in Haiti,” the Barbadian diplomat said, adding “CARICOM in particular welcomes the timely transition of the Multinational Security Support mission to a Gang Suppression Force with a UN authorized mandate to bring an immediate end to violence and restore public safety in Haiti”.
CARICOM is also supporting the UN Support Office in Haiti “to provide the necessary logistical and administrative support for this robust force”.
Guyana’s ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, speaking on behalf of her country as well as for Algeria, Sierra Leone and Somalia, said even though there was not sufficient time to consult “we approached the process with our foremost responsibility to the Haitian people, whose lives and livelihoods are directly impacted by the dire security crisis in the country.
Guyana’s ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett“We placed utmost priority on ensuring that there were adequate safeguards for the protection of human rights, including the rights of children, who comprise 50 per cent of gang membership.
‘Secondly, we also recognize our obligation to support and strengthen the efforts of Kenya, Barbados, The Bahamas, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica as well as the other countries supporting the MSS mission,” the Guyanese diplomat said.
Russia said that unfortunately, the tools of international assistance to Haiti pushed through the UN Security Council have failed to produce any sustainable results,, noting “and we have every reason to believe that this new mission, under yet another grand title, will meet the same fate”.
Russia said that no proper assessment of the efficacy, successes or failures of the MSS had been conducted, “instead, the Council is now being presented with a new idea, to create a mission independent of national and international oversight, with a virtually unrestricted mandate to use force against anyone and everyone labelled with the vague term ‘gangs’.
“Do you not understand that ill-conceived and rushed steps may lead to outcomes that are completely contrary to our goals?,” Russia asked.
