UN human rights chief calls for special forces to Haiti
Published:Friday | February 10, 2023 | 7:48 PM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nation's human rights chief on Friday urged the international community to consider deploying a specialised armed force to Haiti, warning that violent gangs are creating a “living nightmare” for thousands of people.
The appeal from UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk came at the end of a two-day visit to Haiti at the request of a government unable to control gangs that are killing, raping and pillaging in a growing number of neighbourhoods.
Violence has spiked in the impoverished country since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
“It is time for the international community to help the Haitian authorities regain full control so this suffering can be stopped,” Türk said.
He added that since multiple crises around the world are competing for attention, he fears that “the situation in Haiti is not receiving the urgent spotlight that it deserves.”
Hours later, at an Organization of American States meeting in Washington, the US government said it continues to discuss with international partners the possibility of sending a multinational force composed primarily of police.
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