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New York.- President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic reiterated his stance on the Haitian situation during his speech at the United Nations, emphasizing that there is no Dominican solution to the Haitian problem, and it is a matter that lies in the hands of the international community.
He called on the United Nations to intensify its efforts to ensure the immediate deployment of a multinational force in Haiti and urged the Security Council to approve such a resolution urgently.
President Abinader expressed solidarity with the Haitian people and highlighted the Dominican government’s efforts to assist them. However, he made it clear that his primary responsibility was to defend the interests of the Dominican people.
He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to the peace process in Haiti, including a social and political pact. To facilitate this, he entrusted the Caribbean Community (Caricom) with the task of achieving an agreement that would provide the highest possible legitimacy for accepting a multinational force and holding fair, free, and transparent elections.
President Abinader also praised the countries that have committed to sending troops to bring peace to Haiti, including Kenya, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.
He emphasized that the situation in Haiti represents a breakdown of public order by criminal elements without any political or ideological claims. President Abinader stressed that accepting the request for help from the Haitian authorities by sending a multinational force aligns with the spirit and letter of the United Nations Charter and the organization’s mandate to ensure peace in accordance with international law.
President Abinader clarified that the Dominican Republic does not seek confrontation with the Haitian people but rather with the “uncontrollable” actors behind the canal construction on the Massacre River. He pointed out that the canal project was never discussed with the Dominican government, and no documentation was provided regarding its size, environmental impact, and benefits.
The construction of the canal also threatens the Codevi industrial park, which employs thousands of people, and the Saladillo Lagoon, one of the main wetlands in the Dominican Republic. President Abinader noted that his government had requested the cessation of canal construction in 2021 but had not received a satisfactory response, leading to the closure of the border to protect national security, rivers, the environment, and agricultural production.
In his speech, President Abinader emphasized that the Dominican Republic seeks to address the issue through diplomatic and peaceful means and is committed to safeguarding the well-being of both its citizens and the Haitian people.
I certainly hope that this is an accurate precis of what the President said because it reads extremely well. I do not think that time has run out.In fact,I believe that the Haitians would welcome a UN force that would eliminate totally the gangs and if this could be accompanied with a rebuilding program , because the capital is still in ruins since the earthquake, then this island would be much more peaceful. My other hope is that the capital can be relocated to the north as Port au Prince is on a fault line and will be subject to more earthquakes.
They might welcome an international force to start with, but for how long? History suggests the welcome wears out pretty quickly population soon want the “invaders” out, whilst the mess that needs cleaning up is not going to be a quick fix and where the gangs are concerned will require the kind of decisive military action the UN has rarely been capable or more specifically, willing to carry out.
Yes, there will need to be a UN presence for some years to rebuild the Haiti administration. But ,for example, the UN has been in Cyprus for some decades without problems, keeping the peace between Turks and Greeks.
Most Haitians would not welcome another UN force to keep US boots on Haiti’s neck. Haitians want the current US backed illegal government to step down.
Their only alternative would seem to be to stick with having the gangs boots on their necks. Haiti is a completely failed State that’s hardly in a position to stand on its dignity and dictate terms to its potential rescuers, the UN, Kenya, Jamaica and the Bahamas are doing Haiti a favour, not the other way round.
Haiti needs another UN intervention. And once Haiti is under UN control, never let a single Haitian rule because Haitians can’t govern themselves.