U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called for renewing a UN mandate. It was for a mission to help Haiti fight armed gangs that have taken over much of the country’s capital and expanded to nearby regions.
The mission’s mandate, first approved for 12 months, is set to expire at the start of October. However, it has seen few results with few troops on the ground and far less funding than hoped.
“At this critical moment you need more funding and personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” Blinken said.
‘Need More Contribution’
He said the U.S. planned to convene a ministerial meeting at the U.N. General Assembly this month. This meeting is to encourage more financial contributions and renew the mandate. U.S. is the mission’s largest financial backer.
“The mission itself needs to be renewed, that’s what we’re working on right now. But we also want something that’s reliable, that’s sustainable. And we’ll look at every option to do that. A U.N. peacekeeping mission is one option,” Blinken said.
The current U.N.-ratified mission is being led by Kenya, with under a month left on the mandate. It remains the only country to have deployed around 400 police officers arriving in Port-au-Prince in June and July, from an expected total of 1,000.
A handful of other countries have together pledged at least 1,900 more troops, and hundreds of millions of dollars in support. By late August, the U.N.’s dedicated trust fund was paid just $63 million.
Prepare For Elections
The mission has faced setbacks such as delays in paying the Kenyan officers and supplying key equipment such as firing towers for armored vehicles.
“Much remains to be done and we’re determined to continue,” Blinken said. “It’s starting to move.”
He also urged Haitian authorities to put the country on track for elections next year. Elections were last held in 2016 in Haiti. The last elected president faced assassination in 2021.
Blinken met with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille and the head of its presidential council Edgard Leblanc Fils during his visit. He also announced a further $45 million in humanitarian aid for Haiti.
Nearly 580,000 people have been internally displaced by the conflict, hundreds of thousands who fled the country have been deported back to Haiti, and close to 5 million people are facing severe hunger.
(with inputs from Reuters)
