US and Canada not interested in sending armed force to Haiti

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and Canada -- the two countries most often mentioned as possible leaders of an international armed force to help Haiti combat gangs – showed no interest Tuesday in deploying security personnel despite renewed appeals from the United Nations and Haiti for help to end worsening violence in the Western hemisphere's poorest nation.

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the UN Security Council that “Haiti must address its continued insecurity challenges,” and he encouraged the international community to support its efforts.

Canada's UN Ambassador Robert Rae said the world needs to learn from all previous military interventions in Haiti, which failed to bring long-term stability to the country, and ensure that in the future solutions “must be led by Haitians and by Haitian institutions.”

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the country's Council of Ministers sent an urgent appeal on October 7 calling for “the immediate deployment of a specialised armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the crisis caused partly by the “criminal actions of armed gangs.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the appeal, but more than three months later, no countries have stepped forward.

Helen La Lime, the UN special envoy for Haiti, reiterated the secretary-general's appeal, telling the council that “gang-related violence has reached levels not seen in years.”

Murders and kidnappings increased for a fourth straight year in 2022, she said, pointing to 1,359 kidnappings, more than double the number in 2021 and averaging roughly four per day, and murders up a third to 2,183, touching all segments of society including a former presidential candidate and the director of the National Police Academy.

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