By Sarah Morland
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council began talks on Friday on a draft resolution for Haiti to bolster and expand a struggling international force fighting armed gangs that have largely taken control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Known as the Multinational Security Support mission, the Kenyan-led force has struggled with a shortage of personnel and funding, and has made little headway in recovering gang-held territory or controlling key transit routes.
The draft
resolution, put forward by the United States and Panama, aims to transition the MSS into a so-called Gang Suppression Force led by a "standing group" of representatives from the nations that have so far contributed personnel, plus the United States and Canada.
These are Kenya, Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Just under 1,000 personnel, mostly Kenyan, are currently deployed - fewer than half the 2,500 troops the mission had hoped for after early commitments surpassed 3,100.
The new force would authorize a deployment of up to 5,500 personnel.
Like the security support mission, the anti-gang force would be supplied through voluntary contributions.
The draft resolution did not say how it would address the current mission's challenges, but set out more structure for receiving and administering funding and supplies.
It calls on the Organization of American States - a regional diplomatic body - to follow up on declarations of support with a "targeted support package" including rations, transport, tents, communications equipment and defense stores.
It would also establish a U.N. office in Port-au-Prince to provide "full logistical support" for rations, fuel, medical services, ground transportation and surveillance from drones.
The current mission was authorized in October 2023, but the first few hundred Kenyan police did not deploy to Haiti until June 2024. Its mandate was renewed a year later, and that is set to expire on October 2.
The anti-gang force would also have a 12-month authorization to "take all necessary measures to carry out its mandate," similar to the security mission.
Haitian leaders have repeatedly called for more help to fight gangs that have killed thousands and pushed 1.3 million people from their homes, including requesting the force become a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
Past U.N. missions in Haiti, after the overthrow of the president and an earthquake, resulted in a sexual abuse scandal and cholera epidemic that killed more than 9,000 people.
Haiti's national police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Haiti's presidential office told Reuters it would await the official resolution while the U.N. security mission's spokesperson Jack Ombaka said the force was still looking at the model.
A Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., France, Britain, China or Russia.
(Reporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
