UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� The United Nations chief urged the international community on Tuesday to deploy a multinational force comprising 鈥減olice special forces and military support units鈥� to Haiti to combat gangs with sophisticated weapons and restore security to the impoverished Caribbean nation.
Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres said in a 12-page letter to the U.N. Security Council obtained by The Associated Press that 鈥� requires a range of coercive law enforcement measures, including active use of force in targeted police operations against heavily armed gangs.鈥�
The letter was a response to a Security Council asking Guterres to come up with 鈥渁 full range of options鈥� within 30 days to help combat Haiti鈥檚 armed gangs including a non-U.N. multinational force.
Guterres welcomed Kenya鈥檚 offer to lead an international force as well as renewed pledges of support from the Bahamas and Jamaica, and the announcement by Antigua and Barbuda that it is considering contributing to the force. He urged more countries, especially from the Americas, to contribute and 鈥渂uild on this new momentum.鈥�
, with experts estimating they now control some 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. There are only about 10,000 police officers for the country鈥檚 more than 11 million people, and more than 30 were killed from January to June, according to Human Rights Watch.
Guterres said the gangs have encircled the capital, effectively cutting roads from the north, south and east of the country, and violence is spreading to the Artibonite region in central Haiti and other areas, blocking the delivery of aid and goods.
He cited reports of gangs shooting people in public spaces and their homes, burning people alive in public transportation vehicles, mutilating and executing perceived opponents, recruiting children and using sexual violence and rape against women and girls.
鈥淕angs have become more structured, federated, and autonomous in their efforts to confront state authority, weakening state institutions, and consolidating control over the population,鈥� the secretary-general said. 鈥淭hey target police stations, courts, prisons, schools, hospitals, and strategic installations such as ports, oil terminals and major roadways.鈥�
Haiti鈥檚 Prime Minister Ariel Henry sent an urgent appeal last October for 鈥渢he immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity鈥� to stop the gangs. However, no country stepped up to lead such a force until Kenya鈥檚 offer in late July.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Aug. 1 that the United States authorizing Kenya to lead a multinational police force to fight the gangs and provide 1,000 officers. However, she gave no timetable.
Since its offer, Kenya鈥檚 police force has come under scrutiny especially by human rights watchdogs, for alleged killings and torture, including during the country鈥檚 COVID-19 curfew.
As the U.S. was considering Kenya to lead the force, it was also openly warning Kenyan police officers against violent abuses.
Guterres said the Haitian National Police 鈥渕ost concerningly鈥� face persistent reports of gang infiltration.
The force lost 774 officers during the first half of the year 鈥� 鈥渁 staggering loss compared to an average attrition of around 400 police per year in the past,鈥� he said. And the state of police infrastructure is 鈥渄ire,鈥� with around 40 of its 412 premises nationwide unusable 鈥渄ue to gang territorial control.鈥�
Guterres made clear in the letter that 鈥淗aiti鈥檚 current context is not conducive to peacekeeping鈥� by the United Nations.
He said law and order must be restored and human rights abuses and violence reduced 鈥渂y deterring, neutralizing, and disarming heavily armed gangs capable of mounting robust resistance to anti-gang police operations.鈥�
Guterres stressed that securing strategic installations and major roadways to restore freedom of movement and re-establishing the government鈥檚 presence to restore services requires 鈥渢he robust use of force鈥� by a specialized multinational police force.
In parallel to deploying such a force, he said there are two potential options for the U.N. 鈥� to provide logistical support to the multinational force and the national police, and to strengthen the U.N. political mission in Haiti to expand its mandate to train and advise the national police and create 鈥渁n enabling environment鈥� for long-delayed elections and the restoration of democratic institutions.
Given the dire situation in Haiti and the need for security, Guterres said both options may be required to maximize the impact of a multinational police force.
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
