PRINCE PORT.- The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrived this Monday at Haiti for an official visit aimed at strengthening international support for the Caribbean country, which is experiencing a severe crisis of violence and a complex political transition.
During her one-day visit, Thomas-Greenfield will meet with the presidential transition council and the newly appointed Prime Minister Garry Conille, to discuss strategies to strengthen governance and security in Haiti. This meeting is especially significant given that an international security mission is beginning to establish itself in the country, with the aim of combating the armed gangs that have sown chaos in recent weeks.
In a recent development, a delegation of Kenyan police, part of the UN-backed international mission, has begun patrols in Port-au-Prince. This mission, consisting of approximately 2,500 personnel, has as its main goal to restore peace and order in the areas most affected by gang violence. Kenya has taken a leading role in this initiative, sending hundreds of officers to support security operations.
Violence in Haiti
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July 2021, gang power has grown and is estimated to control up to 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and has spread to surrounding areas. The rise in murders, rapes and kidnappings has sparked a violent uprising by civilian self-defense groups.
The crisis in Haiti escalated in late February when gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital, declaring their intention to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry, whose tenure was marked by a lack of electoral legitimacy, resigned in April, allowing the formation of a transitional government under Conille.
According to UN agencies, the violence has displaced 580,000 people, more than half of them children, and is causing 4 million people to face food insecurity.
Haiti has requested an international force to combat gangs in 2022, and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres He had been calling for months for a country to lead the force before the Kenyans came forward.
Thomas-Greenfield’s visit not only aims to strengthen international support for the transitional government, but also to assess the humanitarian and security situation on the ground. The ambassador is scheduled to visit several affected areas and meet with community leaders and humanitarian organizations to coordinate a more effective response to the current crisis.
Source: With information from AFP and AP