Haiti at ‘watershed moment’, Prime Minister tells UN, urging full backing for security force
Haiti Seeks Sustained Support as It Confronts Gang Violence
Qinilo.com – Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has described the country’s fight against armed gangs as a defining turning point, urging international partners to provide lasting support while Haiti rebuilds its own ability to protect its people.
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, the Prime Minister said violence continues to endanger communities throughout the country. Massacres, forced displacement, and attacks targeting women and children have created a crisis that requires urgent and determined action, he said.
Yet he stressed that Haiti does not want outsiders to decide its future. The country, he argued, is asking for partnership as it works to restore security, public institutions and democratic life.
“Haiti will resist. Haiti is standing tall.”
He called on the international community to stand with Haitians as they regain control over their country’s future, rather than treating Haiti as a nation waiting to be rescued. The distinction is central to his government’s message: international assistance should reinforce Haitian leadership and long-term national capacity.
Security Forces at the Centre of the Response
The government is expanding its domestic security forces as part of a broader effort to reduce the influence of criminal groups. A programme intended to train 4,000 police officers is already underway, with more than 2,000 officers having completed training. Haiti has also trained over 1,500 new soldiers and plans to prepare another 15,000 soldiers during the next three years.
These figures reflect an effort to build institutions capable of maintaining security beyond the immediate emergency. The Prime Minister said the objective reaches further than responding to current violence: Haiti needs the means to provide its own security on a durable basis.
“Our goal is not only to respond to the crisis of today,” he said, but to build the capacity for Haiti to sustainably ensure its own security.
He honoured Haitians and international personnel who have died while serving in the country, as well as civilians who have suffered in the violence. Their deaths, he said, cannot be reduced to impersonal statistics. The human cost of insecurity remains at the heart of the government’s appeal for stronger action.
Call for Full Deployment of International Force
Alongside the national security build-up, Mr. Fils-Aimé raised concern that the international force designed to assist Haiti has not yet reached full operational capacity or its intended strength of 5,500 personnel.
He asked for the mandate of the gang suppression force to be renewed and for the mission to receive the people, equipment and resources needed to operate effectively. In his view, a formal mandate alone cannot change conditions on the ground unless it is matched by a practical commitment to deploy and sustain the force.
“A mandate is not enough,” he warned. “There’s a need for forces. Equipment is needed, and one needs to resolve to see the effort through.”
The Prime Minister also highlighted the flow of illicit firearms and ammunition into Haiti. He said transnational criminal networks are supplying weapons that fuel violence, making the problem one that extends beyond Haiti’s borders. Stronger international action against trafficking is therefore tied directly to efforts to improve safety within the country.
Justice, Elections and Economic Renewal
Security measures are being paired with steps aimed at limiting impunity. The government has created two specialized judicial hubs to address financial crimes, mass crimes and sexual violence. It has also revived the national commission responsible for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
These initiatives point to the different dimensions of recovery. Security operations can help contain immediate threats, but judicial accountability is needed to confront serious crimes and reinforce public trust in the rule of law. Disarmament and reintegration efforts, meanwhile, are intended to support a path away from armed violence.
Mr. Fils-Aimé said the return of security must be linked to economic recovery and a transition back to democratic governance. He called for elections that are free, credible, inclusive and honest. Enrollment centres are already operating, political parties and groups have received accreditation, and potential candidates are completing the required procedures.
For Haiti, the electoral process is not separate from the security challenge. Political participation and stable public institutions depend on an environment where citizens, candidates and election workers can take part without intimidation or violence.
The Prime Minister also appealed for a different economic relationship between Haiti and its international partners. Rather than continued dependence on aid alone, he argued for investment, production and job creation. Opportunities for young people and women, he said, are especially important to the prospects for a more peaceful future.
“We need to move from aid to investment, from assistance to production, from dependency to partnership,” he said.
His address ended with a message of resolve in the face of Haiti’s extraordinary challenges. While recognizing the scale of the crisis, he said the country’s determination is stronger still.
“The challenges are colossal, but our willpower is even greater,” he said. “Our generation now needs to let [the tree of liberty] bear the fruit of peace.”
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