The United Nations Security Council this Friday renewed sanctions against some of the main actors in the violence in Haiti for another year, including the travel ban and the freezing of assets, and expanded the scope of the arms embargo.
The 15 members of the Council unanimously approved this new resolution presented by Ecuador and the United States, which aims to help quell rampant gang violence and restore security in the crisis-devastated Caribbean nation.
Haiti faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, which worsened in February when several criminal gangs joined forces to overthrow the government of unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
These heavily armed groups are accused of murder, looting, rape and kidnapping, particularly in and around the capital Port-au-Prince, violence that has led more than 700,000 people to flee their homes in search of refuge in other parts of the country.
At the beginning of October, members of the Gran Grif (Great Claws) gang left more than a hundred dead in an indiscriminate attack against the population in Pont Sondé, in the department of Artibonite.
In the adopted resolution, the international community commits to take the “necessary measures” to prevent the illicit trafficking, supply, sale or direct or indirect transfer of weapons to Haiti or to provide technical assistance for weapons that are not intended for Haiti. security forces, for official uses or to protect the population.
Several recent reports report on the “weak” implementation of the embargo on arms arriving in Haiti mainly from Florida (United States), but also from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
The resolution also calls for greater coordination between the different international organizations and extends by 13 more months the mandate of a panel of experts who advise the Sanctions Committee.
The unanimous adoption of the text “is key to addressing Haiti’s multidimensional crisis, which requires a comprehensive response,” said Ecuadorian representative Irina Barba.
In recent months, the Security Council also renewed the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and in September expanded the Multinational Security Support mission, led by Kenya.
The African country has sent 400 police officers to Haiti as part of the multinational contingent that should reach 2,500 troops. Last week he promised to send another 600 uniformed personnel.
“The sanctions regime is a key component of broader international efforts to promote peace and stability in Haiti and the region,” said US Representative Dorothy Shea.
“By approving this decision, the Security Council reaffirms its determination to pursue everything that deteriorates the security situation in my country, which (…) represents a serious threat to peace and security in the region,” added a Haitian delegate. .