In most countries worldwide, the presence of armed foreign troops often sparks hostility. However, in Haiti, where gangs have wreaked havoc for years, news of an international armed force being dispatched to combat criminal elements has stirred mixed emotions.
In 2017, armed soldiers and police were withdrawn from Haiti after nearly two decades on the streets, resulting in a surge in criminal activities. Gangs took control of significant portions of the country, causing a spike in robberies, rapes, and kidnappings. Now, the United Nations Security Council’s approval of a one-year deployment of an international armed force to help quell violent gangs has given Haitians a glimmer of hope.
The announcement of this vote has dominated conversations, radio broadcasts, and television programs across the nation. “It’s as if God heard Haiti’s cries for help and is answering them,” said Wensley Johnson, a 40-year-old resident who was forced to flee his home this year due to gang violence.
Johnson, a construction worker, sent his son and stepdaughter to live with relatives in the countryside to shield them from the ongoing violence. Still, he has struggled to provide for them as construction work has ground to a halt in areas controlled by gangs. He expressed relief that a foreign armed force would address the dire security situation. He noted that Haiti’s security forces lack the manpower and resources to effectively confront heavily armed gangs.
Haiti’s National Police have conducted several operations against gangs, but they lack the necessary resources and personnel to adequately address the crisis. With only approximately 10,000 active officers for a population exceeding 11 million people, the challenges are immense.
This upcoming mission, led by Kenya with support from Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda, marks the first international force deployment to Haiti in nearly two decades, following a 2004 U.N. mission that concluded in 2017. The mission will be reviewed after nine months and funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. pledging up to $200 million. Kenya’s foreign minister has indicated that the force could be deployed as early as January.
The prospect of gang violence escalating further has left many Haitians deeply concerned. They hope that the international force will bring stability and allow them to return to their normal activities. Peter John, a 49-year-old carpenter, expressed his fear of the growing violence and welcomed the international intervention as a means to combat gangs.
In the meantime, some Haitians have resorted to violent uprisings known as “bwa kale” to take matters into their own hands. This violent response has claimed hundreds of lives since it began in April.
The security situation in Haiti remains dire, with over 2,400 reported killings and numerous kidnappings and injuries documented from January to mid-August this year. Violence against women and children, in particular, has been on the rise.
For Jannette Boucher, a 37-year-old store owner who sells women’s and children’s clothing, the deployment of an international armed force is long overdue. She narrowly escaped a gang attack earlier this year and has lost friends to kidnappings and torture. More than 200,000 Haitians have lost their homes due to gang-related violence.
While previous foreign interventions in Haiti have left many with bitter memories, the hope now is that this new international armed force will respect human rights and help restore some semblance of stability. Critics have raised concerns about past abuses by Kenya’s police force, but supporters point to the resolution’s strong language aimed at preventing abuse and ensuring proper wastewater management.
The United Nations Security Council approved this resolution nearly a year after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and 18 top government officials requested immediate foreign armed force deployment to combat the gang crisis that has plagued the country. Haiti now looks to the international community for support in tackling this long-standing security and humanitarian crisis.
(Note: This article is an original piece written for Smartie News Ke, with factual information sourced from APNews, and credit is duly given for their reporting.)