UN official says special force needed to fight violence in Haiti | 24CA News
A U.N. human rights knowledgeable mentioned Wednesday {that a} specialised worldwide power is required to assist combat gang violence in Haiti and {that a} weapons embargo ought to be applied instantly.
William O’Neill, who was appointed knowledgeable on human rights in Haiti in April, spoke on the finish of a 10-day journey throughout which he met with civil society leaders, authorities officers and victims of gang violence.
“I found a country bruised by violence, misery, fear and suffering,” he mentioned, including that every one kinds of human rights are being violated. “It is urgent to take action. The survival of an entire nation is at stake.”
O’Neill mentioned the absence of presidency is palpable and that the shortage of response by officers is affecting individuals’s entry to water, meals, well being, training and housing. He added that whereas Haitian authorities face “immense challenges,” the federal government has an obligation to reply inside its restricted capabilities.
“Entire neighborhoods are left to their fate, without access to any public service,” he mentioned.
O’Neill’s go to comes as an understaffed and underneath resourced police division struggles to combat in opposition to warring gangs who’ve grown extra highly effective because the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, with gangs now estimated to regulate as much as 80% of the capital. The violence has led to a rise in hunger, with individuals unable to go away their properties and vans unable to move items to Port-au-Prince and past.
The surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings in Haiti has led to a violent rebellion, with civilians killing almost 200 individuals since April of their combat in opposition to suspected gang members. The rebellion has been criticized by some who fear that harmless persons are being focused, whereas O’Neill mentioned the motion mirrored a failure of Haiti’s judicial system.
“History has shown that popular justice and its many excesses have never made it possible to resolve violence,” he mentioned.
O’Neill mentioned deploying a specialised worldwide power that might work alongside Haiti’s National Police “is essential to restore the freedom of movement.” He additionally mentioned that an embargo on arms, particularly these from the U.S., is essential on condition that no weapons are produced in Haiti.
Several U.N. officers have known as for such a deployment, a request first made by Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in October final yr, however the U.N. Security Council has not taken motion, opting as a substitute to impose sanctions.
O’Neill additionally criticized what he known as the inhumane circumstances that inmates on the primary jail in Port-au-Prince and in Cap-Haitien face, noting that greater than 200 of them died final yr.
“I ask the authorities to make every effort to allow detainees to live in dignity; this includes immediate and constant access to basic needs,” he mentioned.
He additionally urged authorities to revive operations at a courtroom in Port-au-Prince that was captured by gangs final yr and has not functioned since then.
In addition, O’Neill additionally known as on Haiti’s authorities to combat sexual violence, with the variety of such incidents doubling final month. He famous that gangs typically collectively rape women and girls as a method to management the inhabitants.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
