The new representative of the UN Secretary General says she is “disappointed” with the UN’s inability to find countries to lead a specialized international intervention force to help restore peace in Haiti.
Maria Isabel Salvador said she understands that the member countries of the permanent council of the UN institution want to take time to reflect, but “the Haitian people can no longer wait.
The replacement of the American Helen Meagher La Lime described, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, before the Security Council, a chaotic and dangerous situation in Haiti where members of the Haitian population are daily victims of insecurity.
Ms. Salvador also deplored the fact that the inhabitants of several neighborhoods of the capital Port-au-Prince are forced to form self-defense groups. This, she said, could further aggravate the situation.
The Ecuadorian diplomat believes that it is necessary for the UN to change its paradigm in Haiti by changing the rules governing the deployment of peace missions.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ office thought it could convince Canada to take the lead in the mission. But Justin Trudeau’s government categorically rejected this proposal at the Security Council meeting on Wednesday.
For now, the UN will try to convince CARICOM to send troops to Haiti. “There is no need for a large mission. Police officers could be deployed to reinforce the Haitian National Police,” suggested Ms. Salvador, who also regretted that the request to deploy a peace force to Haiti was not well defined.
Although she congratulated the “progress in the process of establishing a provisional electoral council”, Maria Isabel Salvador acknowledged that the organization of elections in Haiti is not possible at this time given the deteriorating security situation.
Dozens of people have died every day in Haiti.
The representative of Ecuador to the UN recalls that “since the beginning of the year 2023, many more Haitians have lost their lives than in all the countries in conflict in the world.