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The United Nations Security Council authorized a foreign security mission to Haiti, a year after the Caribbean country asked for help to fight violent gangs.
The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission will be led by Kenya and will provide operational, static, and training support to the Haitian National Police.
The mission will be tasked with protecting hospitals, schools, airports, ports, and traffic intersections in conjunction with the Haitian National Police.
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The UN Security Council seen in New York City in February 2020.
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The resolution authorizing the mission was adopted by a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions from China and Russia.
China and Russia’s opinion of the Kenya-led security mission in Haiti
China’s delegate, who abstained, voiced hope that Kenya will hold in-depth consultations with Haiti on the deployment of security forces to ensure that those arrangements will be supported by the Haitian people.
On the political front, he underlined that without a legitimate and effective government in place, any external support “can hardly have any lasting effect”
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President William Ruto speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York, USA.
Similarly, Russia’s Vassily Nebenzia called the move “an extreme measure that must be thought through” and warned it would be “short-sighted” to approve a force without a detailed plan for its eventual withdrawal.
Chinese diplomat Zhang Jun, meanwhile, said Haiti needed a “legitimate, effective, accountable government” in place for any foreign intervention to be effective.
The concerns raised by China and Russia are valid, given the history of foreign interventions in Haiti.
The country has a long history of political instability, and foreign interventions have often been criticized for exacerbating the situation.
However, the situation in Haiti is dire, with violent gangs terrorizing the population and the government unable to provide security.