Hundreds of people displaced by violence from armed gangs in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, try to return to their homes on August 26 after gang leader Jimmy Cherisier, alias Barbecue, announced that residents could come back after his order for his “soldiers” to withdraw from certain areas. Photo by David Lorens/EPA
Oct. 2 (UPI) — Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader sent letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, asking them to support the Multinational Security Support Mission for Haiti that was authorized by the U.N. Security Council.
The mission, approved Tuesday, aims to address the humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti and calls for a new “suppression force” to confront the gangs controlling the country.
The resolution, sponsored by the United States and Panama, passed with 12 votes in favor. China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing concerns about the clarity of the mandate and accountability.
According to Dominican media, Abinader warned in letters sent Wednesday that “the humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti continues to deepen” and that violence “keeps spilling over its borders, directly affecting the national security of the Dominican Republic, with serious implications for peace in the region.”
Abinader stressed the importance of support from the permanent members of the Security Council, saying that “their involvement is essential to avoid an irreversible collapse” of the country.
The mission authorizes an international force of 5,550 personnel to replace the current Kenya-led mission, with explicit powers to detain suspects tied to gangs — authority not granted until now.
The new force — coordinated by the United States and Panama — will operate under a 12-month mandate, working independently of Haitian authorities to neutralize, isolate and deter armed groups that control much of Port-au-Prince.
Still, questions remain about the mission’s viability because it depends on voluntary funding and requires strong human rights safeguards.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that it was an “important step as the U.N. Security Council takes decisive action for Haiti by adopting the resolution to establish a Gang Suppression Force & U.N. Support Office in Haiti. This is a critical effort to restore order, protect lives and support Haiti’s path to stability and democracy.”
In Haiti, gangs have become a parallel power that dominates much of the territory, especially in Port-au-Prince, where they are estimated to control about 90% of the capital. Armed groups impose extreme violence with kidnappings, killings, extortion and roadblocks, paralyzing daily life and commerce.
At the most recent U.N. General Assembly meeting, Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, described the dire situation in his country, calling it “a modern Guernica.”
“Haiti wants peace, expects peace and has the right to peace,” he said, issuing an urgent appeal to the international community to take immediate, coordinated action against the gangs that control much of Port-au-Prince and keep civilians under siege.
Saint-Cyr supported creating a stronger international force with clear rules of engagement, stable funding and a broad mandate to reopen supply routes and protect critical infrastructure.
He said more than 1.3 million people have been displaced and half the country faces food insecurity, with hospitals and schools closed by violence. He also announced the launch of a national committee to demand historic reparations for the “ransom” imposed on Haiti after its independence.
