What You Need To Know:
The United Nations Security Council has greenlit a foreign security mission to Haiti, in response to the Caribbean nation’s year-long plea for assistance against violent gangs dominating Port-au-Prince, its capital.
In a unanimous decision, the 15-member council extended a U.N. arms embargo to cover all gangs, rather than just specific individuals. They also granted the Multinational Security Support mission the authority to employ “all necessary measures” – a clear indication of potential use of force.
China and Russia abstained from the vote, expressing reservations about granting such wide-ranging force authorization.
The Details:
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed in August that a robust intervention involving both multinational police forces and military assets was essential to restore order and disarm the gangs in Haiti.
Responding to Haiti’s call for assistance was delayed by the challenge of finding a nation willing to lead a security support mission. It wasn’t until July that Kenya offered a commitment of 1,000 police officers. Subsequently, the Bahamas pledged 150 personnel, and both Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda expressed their willingness to contribute.
Secretary-General Guterres urged nations, particularly in the Americas, to build upon this new momentum. The timeline for the deployment of forces following Monday’s approval remains uncertain.
While the United States won’t be deploying troops, it aims to allocate $100 million to support the multinational mission through logistical and financial aid, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also noted potential contributions in intelligence, airlift, communications, and medical assistance.