Dominican Republic urges stronger mission in Haiti

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic expressed full support on Monday for reinforcing the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, coinciding with the UN Security Council’s unanimous decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) until January 31, 2026. President Luis Abinader emphasized during his weekly press briefing that the country is committed to strengthening the mission, as Haiti continues to suffer from a deep and ongoing crisis marked by violence and instability.

Abinader described the Haitian crisis as a “constant event” and underscored the importance of unified international action. On the same day, U.S. Undersecretary of State Christopher Landau met with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé in Washington to call for broader international funding for the MSS, which remains under-resourced.

To reinforce a regional response, Abinader has consulted with former Dominican presidents Danilo Medina, Leonel Fernández, and Hipólito Mejía. Together, they sent a joint letter to the UN Security Council supporting Secretary-General António Guterres’s proposal to convert the MSS into a hybrid mission under UN leadership. This move, they argued, would help overcome the mission’s financial and logistical barriers. The letter also warned that without immediate reinforcement, Haiti risks falling under the control of criminal groups like Viv Ansam and Grand Grif, which could turn the country into a hub for transnational crime threatening the wider region.