(United Nations) At least 264 suspected gang members killed since April: self-defense groups are now taking justice into their own hands in Haiti, the UN was alarmed on Thursday, as the call to send an international force to support the Haitian police remains a dead letter.
The poor Caribbean country is facing a real humanitarian, political and security crisis, with gangs controlling a majority of the territory of the capital, terrorizing the population by multiplying assassinations, kidnappings and rapes.
And “the appearance of groups of self-proclaimed vigilantes adds a new level of complexity”, worried Thursday the representative of the UN for Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, before the Security Council.
“Since April, the Binuh (United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti) has counted at least 264 alleged gang members killed by self-proclaimed vigilante groups,” she said.
In one of the first notable episodes in April, a group of civilians grabbed several gang members from police custody, beat them to death and burned their bodies in the street.
A few weeks later, the Haitian Minister of External Cooperation Ricard Pierre had warned of a high risk of “civil war” without foreign intervention.
Speaking Thursday by video to the Security Council on behalf of the community of Caribbean countries (Caricom), the Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness added: “perpetual insecurity does not only prevent access to health , education and other basic goods and services. But it also leads to an increase in popular justice, which threatens to aggravate the alarming surge of violence”.
“While we all express our solidarity, it is meaningless without urgent action to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti achieve the peace, stability, and prosperity they deserve,” he added.
PHOTO RALPH TEDY EROL, REUTERS ARCHIVES
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres relayed in October the Haitian government’s call for an international intervention force.
“I repeat: we are not calling for a UN military or political mission. We call for a robust security force deployed by member states to work hand-in-hand with the Haitian National Police to defeat and dismantle gangs and restore security across the country,” he insisted on Thursday. return from a trip to Haiti and a Caricom summit.
“Prevent the sinking”
Asked about the composition of this force, he felt that 1,000 or 2,000 men would be “not an exaggeration”.
But his appeal launched nine months ago is still unanswered. While a few countries have indicated that they are ready to participate, none has volunteered to take the lead in such an operation in a country scalded by multiple foreign interventions.
The United States said on Thursday that it was “very actively engaged” in the creation of such an international force, with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken referring to “very active talks with countries in the region and elsewhere”.
But Thursday’s Council meeting failed to show any signs of change.
“No country has made a concrete announcement, so it seems that at present, further study is needed before a viable and concrete proposal can be developed,” Chinese Ambassador Zhang commented. Jun, calling in these circumstances on the Council to focus on the fight against arms trafficking.
“If a large stream of weapons continues to flow into the hands of Haitian gangs, it would be futile for the international community to try to help the Haitian police any further,” he noted, as China has since pleaded long for a broad arms embargo.
But Haiti “is committed to its renewed request for robust international assistance to support the efforts of the police”, replied the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Victor Généus, saying he was “flexible and open to all options” that could be considered by the Council.
“The United Nations, through the Security Council, has the moral responsibility to prevent the sinking of Haiti,” he pleaded, calling for “decisive action” to allow “the great suffering and silent majority to hope for a better tomorrow.
“We cannot forget the Haitian people”, who are “trapped in a waking nightmare”, hammered Antonio Guterres.
In addition to the violence, nearly half of the population, or 5.2 million people, needs humanitarian assistance, including nearly 3 million children.