The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will today vote on a resolution that would authorize a year-long deployment of an international force led by Kenyan Police to Haiti to quell a surge in gang violence.
The US-drafted resolution welcomed Kenya’s offer to lead the multinational security force and stated that this would be a non-UN force funded by voluntary contributions.
The resolution would authorize the force for one year, with a review after nine months.
It would be allowed to provide operational support to Haiti’s National Police, which is underfunded and under resourced, with only some 10,000 active officers for a country of more than 11 million people.
The force will be expected to help built capacity of local police “through the planning and conduct of joint security support operations as it works to counter gangs and improve security conditions in Haiti.”
The force would also help secure “critical infrastructure sites and transit locations such as the airport, ports, and key intersections.” Powerful gangs have seized control of key roads leading from Haiti’s capital to the country’s northern and southern regions, disrupting the transportation of food and other goods.
Passage by the Security Council would authorize the force to “adopt urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis” to prevent the loss of life and help police maintain public safety.
Leaders of the mission would be required to inform the council on the mission’s goals, rules of engagement, financial needs and other matters before a full deployment.
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