US-backed rapid force deployment in trouble

FILE – Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, leader of the G9 and Family gang, stands next to a garbage heap to draw attention to people’s conditions as he leads the march against kidnapping in Port’s La Saline neighborhood. au-Prince, Haiti, October 22, 2021. Cherizier is a former officer of the Haitian National Police who works with the Department’s Crowd Control Unit, which was deployed when there were riots or protests and was accused of using excessive force. He has since become what many consider to be Haiti’s most powerful gang leader. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File)

Odelyn Joseph

AP

WASHINGTON

A US proposal to encourage the rapid deployment of an international military force to Haiti is on the verge of failure after no country volunteered to send troops, multiple sources told McClatchy and the Miami Herald.

Biden administration officials are debating whether to cancel the US resolution circulating among UN Security Council members unless a foreign partner takes the step and offers troops in the next few days.

The potential turnaround is a diplomatic setback for the White House, which hopes to gather an armed, foreign force that will be backed by equipment, training and logistical support from the United States.

But the United States has never volunteered for its own forces, causing disappointment among its partners. Some countries in the Security Council demanded that a concrete plan be prepared in writing before the resolution was voted on. Russia and China have openly expressed their concerns to the Security Council about the deployment of foreign forces in Haiti.

Countries around the world have so far rejected the offer. France closed the possibility of supplying troops early in the debate, and Canada has repeatedly expressed its reluctance to contribute ground forces, despite delivering several armored vehicles to Haiti in recent days and urging countries to donate a fund to aid the Haitian National Police.

Focusing on its upcoming local elections at the end of the month, Brazil voiced doubts, and US officials questioned whether CARICOM, the 15-member Caribbean community of which Haiti is a member, alone has the capacity to make a meaningful election. location difference.

“No progress has been made in getting partners to volunteer,” said a source familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of speaking candidly on condition of anonymity. “No one steps in.”

The regional bloc has been arguing with both Canadian and Haitian officials in recent days over Haiti’s request for a rapid reaction force. When considering the request, members seek clarity on the composition of the union and the authority of such a force.

Canada is seen as the partner most likely to lead a rapid deployment, though hesitating. However, it remains unclear what the task of such a force would be. Questions range from the size, duration and risk of the mission, which could include lifting the Varreux fuel terminal siege or securing a humanitarian corridor while preserving the distribution of aid across the country.

A White House official said discussions about the decision were ongoing.

“VII. In addition to the humanitarian and security assistance we are providing to the people of Haiti at this difficult time, we continue to consider the most effective ways to directly support, enable and fund such an effort,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told McClatchy.

Haiti is in the midst of its worst security, economic and political crisis in decades, as gangs are in its seventh week of blocking the country’s main fuel terminal and ports. The blockade leads to shortages of fuel, food and drinking water during a burgeoning cholera epidemic.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to work directly with Haiti to organize a rapid force capable of smashing the gangs’ throats in the country’s most important ports and highways. The Haitian government made a similar request.

Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to sanction Haitian gangs and those who arm and finance them. While the sanctions are a start, the Haitian government said more is needed.

The US decision will enable any rapid response deployment with powers under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which allows troops to use force to enforce the peace.

Updated with comments from the National Security Council.

This story was originally published October 25, 2022 18:14.

Michael Wilner is McClatchy’s Senior National Security and White House Correspondent. As a member of the White House team since 2019, he oversaw the scope of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. Wilner previously served as Washington bureau chief for The Jerusalem Post. He holds degrees from Claremont McKenna College and Columbia University and is from New York.

Jacqueline Charles has been reporting on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for over a decade for the Miami Herald. Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake and awarded the 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Award, the most prestigious award for America’s coverage.

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