United Nations (EFE).- Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarezdemanded this Wednesday before the UN Security Council sending an armed force to Haiti to support the authorities in their fight against criminal gangs and assured that this is right now the “only viable way” to stabilize the neighboring country.
“In our opinion, the threshold of good intentions has already been crossed,” Álvarez told the United Nations’ highest decision-making body, which he asked to specify this multinational force “as soon as possible.”
The Dominican Foreign Minister pointed out that the Government and the police of Haiti “They are making considerable efforts” against the armed gangs, but they need outside support.
As he said, this is the “only viable path in the short term to redeem the Haitian people from their current horrendous situation.”
His appeal coincided with the one made at the same meeting by the Haitian Foreign Minister, Jean Victor Geneus, who made it clear that his country needs that support as soon as possible.
“It is urgent that the friends of Haiti provide this assistance and that it be robust enough to help our National Police put an end to the phenomenon of armed gangs,” said Geneus, who assured that a majority of Haitian society supports this approach.
Last October, the Government of Haiti officially requested the international community to send a military operation to help it regain control of Port-au-Prince from the gangs that control important areas of the capital and its surroundings.
In response, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, proposed establishing a “rapid action force” made up of soldiers from one or several countries, but the project has not yet crystallized due to the lack of finding a State willing to lead it.
The United States and Canada have promoted talks on this issue, but have so far shown no intention of leading the operation, according to diplomatic sources.
Faced with this situation, the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, on Wednesday asked “every country with the capacity to do so” to urgently consider participating in this force.
Although numerous members of the Security Council today supported the need for this intervention, Russia distanced itself and assured that it has “doubts that sending an international military force can change the situation.”
The Russian delegation also charged against the sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada against Haitian figures and accused both countries of trying to influence Haitian politics. EFE
