DOHA, Qatar – Haiti has appealed to the international community to help restore security in the country, where criminal gangs have taken over most, if not all of the capital, Port-au- Prince and surrounding neighbourhoods.
President of the Transitional President Council (TPC), Laurent Saint-Cyr, as he addressed the second World Summit for Social Development in Doha (UN Web TV).“I specifically call on all States to make effective contributions to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), approved by the United Nations Security Council on September 30th,” President of the Transitional President Council (TPC), Laurent Saint-Cyr, as he addressed the second World Summit for Social Development here.
“Making the Gang Repression Force operational as soon as possible, while learning from the experience of the Multinational Security Support Mission, is an imperative of international solidarity, fully in line with the spirit of this Summit.
“The social development that the Haitian people and people around the world deserve requires peace, stability, and security,” he added.
Authorised to have up to 5,550 personnel, the GSF’s mandate is to proactively neutralise, isolate, and deter criminal gangs, which currently control significant parts of the country. The GSF will conduct intelligence-led operations to combat violence, secure critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access.
Saint-Cyr said that the TPC, created in April 2024 to lead the country until elections can be held, is commitment to restoring security, with the support of international partners, and to preparing free and credible elections to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Haitian people.
In his address, Saint-Cyr, said social development is not a choice but a duty of the international community.
He thanked partners for support after Hurricane Melissa, which exposed Haiti’s structural weaknesses and community vulnerabilities, emphasizing that development requires peace, security, and stability.
The Haitian government Tuesday announced that the death toll from Hurricane Melissa had risen to 43, with 21 injured and 13 people still missing.
It said rescue teams continued their efforts to reach communities in the southwest of the country, where landslides and flooding devastated more than 30 towns and villages.
Saint-Cyr said Haiti is prioritizing security, elections, humanitarian response and economic recovery. He said the government is reintegrating children and youth formerly involved with armed groups through vocational training and relocating displaced people with dignity.
He stressed the need for urgent international support to move from short-term aid to sustainable investment.
Meanwhile, Saint-Cyr met with the United Kingdom Under-Secretary of State, Chris Elmore, on the sidelines of the meeting.
It said that during their discussions, Saint-Cyr reiterated the crucial importance of restoring security for the success of the transition and advocated for the swift implementation of the Foreign Relations Guarantee (FRG), an essential condition for holding free and credible elections and returning to democratic order.
He also requested British support in the maritime domain to curb the illicit flow of arms into Haiti, as well as increased cooperation in maritime surveillance and intelligence sharing to contribute to restoring security in the country.
Elmore is reported to have expressed London’s concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Haiti and commended the efforts undertaken by the transitional government to address it.
