Security Council to discuss deploying UN Peacekeepers to Haiti

Santo Domingo.- The UN Security Council will discuss Haiti’s request to transform the Multinational Security Mission (MMS) into a full peacekeeping force, but approval appears unlikely due to opposition from Russia and China. Despite the Haitian transitional government’s plea, citing the mission’s limited resources and effectiveness, both nations remain firm against deploying “blue helmets,” citing past failures of similar initiatives in Haiti.

The United States and Ecuador proposed a resolution seeking guidance from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the mission’s scope, but Russia and China’s veto power makes approval improbable. Meanwhile, Haiti faces escalating violence, with recent clashes in Port-au-Prince leading to 28 gang members killed, unrest led by armed coalitions, and attacks forcing the closure of the nation’s main airport and suspension of humanitarian aid.

From July to September, over 1,200 deaths and 500 injuries resulted from gang violence, with the year’s toll exceeding 8,000 victims. The worsening insecurity underscores the urgent need for action, even as international consensus remains elusive.