On Friday, the United States and Ecuador proposed a resolution at the United Nations that suggests planning for a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Haiti to replace the current mission led by Kenya. The goal is to help the police in Haiti control gang violence.
The draft resolution states that U.N. peacekeepers are necessary to maintain the progress achieved by the current multinational mission, which has seen around 400 Kenyan police officers deployed in Haiti. This proposal comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Haiti and expressed support for the multinational mission and called for general elections to be held soon.
During his visit, Blinken also mentioned that a U.N. peacekeeping force could help address the financial challenges faced by the current mission led by Kenya, which relies on voluntary contributions. Unlike this mission, peacekeeping operations are funded directly from the U.N. budget.
The United Nations has had a presence in Haiti on and off since 1990. In 2004, a rebellion nearly caused the collapse of the country, leading to the deployment of a U.N. force. This force helped stabilize Haiti after successful elections and a devastating earthquake in 2010.
Since then, the U.N. has had several small missions in Haiti, the most recent being BINUH, a political mission aimed at advancing the political process in Haiti towards elections, rule of law, and human rights.
Many Haitians are opposed to another peacekeeping operation due to past incidents involving cholera and sexual abuse. Despite this, Haiti requested an international force to combat gangs in 2022. After months of appeals, Kenya agreed to lead the force with 1,000 police officers. The multinational force is expected to grow to 2,500 personnel and will cost approximately $600 million a year.
While the resolution is being discussed at the Security Council, it is important to note that setting up a new peacekeeping force is a lengthy process, requiring approval from the Security Council, member nations to volunteer troops and equipment, and deployment logistics to be arranged.
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