UN Issues Worrying Report Ahead Of Kenya Police Deployment To Haiti
In Haiti, gang violence has reached an all-time peak just before the deployment of a multinational force to restore peace and tranquility.
On Monday, October 23, the United Nations Security Council reported this alarming trend while advocating for the immediate deployment of foreign police officers to the Caribbean nation.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) Mara Isabel Salvador warned that the ratification of the Bwa Kale Vigilante Group between April 24 and September 30 exacerbated the situation.
According to reports, Bwa Kale began when residents of Port-au-Prince attacked and lynched suspected gang members. Local human rights groups warned that gangs were poised to retaliate after 160 suspected criminals were murdered in the previous months.
“The security situation on the ground continues to deteriorate as growing gang violence plunges the lives of the people of Haiti into disarray and major crimes are rising sharply to new record highs,” María Isabel Salvador warned.
According to Salvador, involving all political actors in Haiti and engaging in dialogue will be the most effective means of delivering inclusive and credible elections and restoring the rule of law.
“The security situation on the ground continues to deteriorate as growing gang violence plunges the lives of the people of Haiti into disarray, and major crimes are rising sharply to new record highs,” she cautioned.
ALSO READ:
- Storm in UDA as rival camps flex muscles in Nairobi County Assembly
- CJ Koome Proposes Bill to Decriminalise Prostitution
Ghadha Fathi Waly, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), stated that criminals seized control of Haiti’s vital infrastructure while committing acts of violence against the populace.
“Through these routes, traffickers are taking advantage of the Haitian security sector’s limited capacities, equipment, and infrastructure for border and maritime control and surveillance,” she highlighted, citing sea and routes as major sneaking routes.
She added that the violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 200,000 people as it extends from Port-au-Prince to other departments.
To pave the way for a seamless national dialogue and the imposition of sanctions against gang leaders before the country held new elections, the UN Security Council has recommended such action.
The Caribbean nation will conduct its national elections on an undetermined date.
The United Nations Security Council authorized a resolution on October 2 to send a multinational force led by 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti.
President William Ruto, while acknowledging the resolution, maintained that the mission would assist Haitians in restoring their democracy and reestablishing the status quo regarding gangs.
”I commend the Security Council for making this moment possible and extend special appreciation to the United States and Ecuador for the consultative, inclusive, and focused endeavor, which has proved critical to the outcome,” Ruto stated.
UN Issues Worrying Report Ahead Of Kenya Police Deployment To Haiti
