On Saturday July 1st, 2023, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, paid a few hours' visit to Port-au-Prince, an opportunity for him to call again for the immediate deployment of a robust international security force to assist the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in its fight against gangs.

"I came with a simple message: the United Nations is with you. My solidarity goes out to the people of Haiti, who are facing a terrible cycle of mutually exacerbating security, political and humanitarian crises," Guterres said at a press conference in Port-au-Prince before his departure.

He recalled that "brutal gang violence affects every aspect of public and private life in the country", Port-au-Prince being "encircled by armed gangs who block the main roads leading to the North and South departments, control access to water, food and health care."

He said he was deeply concerned about the extreme vulnerability of populations faced with these "predatory gangs", in particular the disproportionate impact of this violence on women and girls, and he condemned in the strongest terms the generalized sexual violence used by armed gangs "as a weapon to instill fear".

According to the Secretary-General, the gravity of the situation requires "urgent and sustained attention, which places the victims and the civilian populations at the center of our concerns and our priorities" adding "There can be no lasting security without the restoration of democratic institutions and it is impossible to achieve lasting and fully representative political solutions without a drastic improvement in the security situation."

"Every day counts. If we do not act now, instability and violence will have a lasting impact on generations of Haitians," insisted the UN chief, who reiterated his call to all partners to strengthen the PNH, that whether in terms of funding, training or equipment.

"But we need much more to restore the authority of the State" urging the Security Council to authorize "the immediate deployment of a robust international security force which would come to assist the PNH in its fight against gangs."

"Now is not the time to forget about Haiti or weaken our solidarity with its people,” Guterres said.

During his whirlwind visit, the Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister secretary-generalde-l-onu.html , members of the High Council of the Transition (HCT), civil society and political parties and discussed with them recalling "Everyone must go beyond their personal interests and make concessions in order to facilitate the emergence of a common vision and a viable and credible electoral path."

He also met Haitians and said he felt "all the exhaustion of a population that has faced for too long a cascade of crises and unsustainable living conditions."

HL/ HaitiLibre