Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Haiti
Madam President,
We thank Carlos Ruiz Massieu and Indrika Ratwatte for their briefings. We welcome the participation in today’s meeting of the representatives of Haiti, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.
We strongly condemn the cruel attack by a local gang against civilians in Kenscoff, on the outskirts of the Haitian capital. As a result of this tragedy, dozens more innocent lives have been added to the already horrifying toll of violence in the country. Particularly inhumane is the fact that many of the victims were killed on the premises of a local church. As we understand it, several dozen civilians were abducted and remain in the captivity of the gangs.
The Haitian authorities, which bear primary responsibility for security in the country, must do their utmost to secure the release of the hostages and ensure that all those responsible are duly punished. We trust that the recently established specialized judicial unit for the investigation of mass crimes will look into this incident as well.
What happened in Kenscoff is essentially an act of open defiance by the gangs against not only the Haitian authorities, but also against the efforts of the international community to assist in addressing security challenges facing the country. It is a message that organized crime in Haiti has no intention to yield to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) deployed in the country and will continue to fight for territorial control using intimidation, violence and attacks against innocent and unarmed people.
We call on the leadership of the non-UN mission to act promptly to improve the security situation in the capital and beyond. At the same time, we warn against the indiscriminate use of force: conducting any operations must factor in both their potential consequences for the civilian population and the mass involvement of children and adolescents in gangs.
On a separate note, we would like to stress the importance of addressing the protracted problems that lie at the root of Haiti’s security crisis. These include the longstanding ineffectiveness of the country’s authorities, which has culminated in the current constitutional crisis, as well as harmful external interference aimed at shaping the country’s political landscape to suit the interests of foreign actors. Another unresolved problem – and we raise it at every meeting on Haiti – is the uncontrolled flow of weapons from the US, which continues to fuel gang-related criminal activity. Gang leaders make no secret of this, posting videos of their arsenals on social media, including large-caliber weapons and ammunition with easily identifiable origin.
A recent public opinion poll conducted by Chatham House shows that Haitians are weary of the protracted problems facing their country and trust neither their own authorities nor the international presence represented by the GSF. Their frustration is understandable, and we can only wish them resilience as they wait to see whether the measures being taken by Port-au-Prince and the international community will finally bring the long-awaited changes for the better.
Thank you.
