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By Iftikhar Ali
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 01 (APP):The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday voted to authorize a significantly larger multinational force to help stamp out the worsening gang violence in Haiti, the poorest country in Western hemisphere facing multiple challenges.
The new “Gang Suppression Force (GSF)” will replace the current Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.
Pakistan, along with China and Russia, abstained on the draft resolution, which was co-sponsored by the United States and Panama. It received 12 votes in favour in the 15-member Council
There are currently 1,000 police officers, mostly from Kenya, deployed to support the overwhelmed Haitian police force.
The new force can now have a maximum of 5,500 uniformed personnel, which will include both police officers and soldiers.
Under an initial 12-month mandate, the GSF will work in close coordination with the Haitian National Police (HNP) and the Haitian armed forces to conduct intelligence-led operations to neutralize gangs, provide security for critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access.
Support for the vote was warmly welcomed by Laurent Saint-Cyr, leader of Haiti’s transitional presidential council who cheered the vote.
“This vote marks a decisive turning point in the fight against armed criminal groups that are causing grief for our families, paralyzing our economy and threatening the future of our nation,” he said.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the transformation of “the Multinational Security Support mission to the new gang suppression force, a mission five-times the size of its predecessor” showed the “international community was sharing the burden.”
“This resolution offers Haiti hope. It is a hope that has been rapidly slipping away as terrorist gangs expanded their territory, raped, pillaged, murdered and terrorized the Haitian population,” he said.
Explaining his vote, Pakistani Ambassador to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan’s abstention “in no way diminishes our commitment and support for Haiti”, as he underscored that it was essential to learn from past mistakes to mitigate the risk of failure.
While recognizing the need for the Security Council to take the necessary steps for addressing the dire security and humanitarian situation in Haiti, the Pakistani envoy said, “We believe that in doing so it was vital to remain clear-eyed about the previous interventions, and learn from the mistakes of the past in order to chart a course that mitigates the risks of failure.”
“The need for urgent action to assist the Haitian people and particularly to protect the children of Haiti from the scourge of violence by gangs and criminal networks is clear.” he said, noting with regret that the resolution “falls short” of bringing clarity on certain key aspects such as sustainability of funding, the concept of operations, rules of engagement and details on troop contributions.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad expressed hope for more clarity on the Force’s funding and urged that its personnel strength “be justified by logical reasoning”.
“We respect Haiti’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the sovereign political choices that it makes to seek external assistance for addressing its challenges,” he said.
“We hope that the international community, including the regional countries would be able to muster the necessary financial, political and operational support to effectively support Haiti in overcoming the current crisis.”