Haiti says it supports a UN peacekeeping mission to fight the country’s violent gangs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council announced Thursday that he is backing a UN peacekeeping mission to combat gang violence that continues to overwhelm authorities.

It was the first public support announced by a Haitian government official since the US submitted the proposal. a UN peacekeeping mission earlier this month as a way to secure more resources for a UN-backed mission led by Kenya According to officials, there is a shortage of staff and money.

“I am confident that this change of status, recognizing that the mistakes of the past cannot be repeated, would ensure the full success of the mission,” Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the Council, told the UN General Assembly.

On Wednesday, Fils met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others to discuss the status of the mission, which began when the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti in late June.

Nearly 400 Kenyan officers are now in Haiti, along with nearly two dozen police and soldiers from Jamaica. The officers are significantly short of the 2,500 pledged by several countries for the mission.

The UN Security Council would ultimately have to vote on a peacekeeping mission, and experts have said it is unlikely they would support it. They have noted that many Haitians would likely oppose it, given the introduction of cholera And cases of sexual abuse which took place when UN troops were last in Haiti.