Friday, September 22, 2023, during his intervention at the United Nations, Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry, once again called for the deployment in Haiti of a multinational Mission in support of the Haitian National Police (PNH), in order to to fight gangs and restore security declaring "I am asking today, once again, from this podium, to help Haitians to stay at home. There are thousands of them looking elsewhere for the well-being and tranquility that their native land no longer offers them, in a world where there are fewer and fewer El Dorados due to climatic hazards and recurring economic crises."

"[...] In the name of the women and girls raped every day, the thousands of families chansed from their homes, the children and young people of Haiti, who have been denied the right to education and instruction, on behalf of an entire people who are victims of the barbarity of gangs, I urge the international community to act quickly."

Concerning the insecurity situation in Haiti, Ariel Henry highlighted "[...] the outrageous deterioration of the security situation, where the population suffers daily violent attacks from armed gangs in the capital as well as in provincial towns."

"[..] The criminals who control almost the entire capital https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39968-haiti-flash-the-hell-of-port-au-prince-told-by-its-inhabitants-videos.html , the suburbs of Port-au-Prince and certain provincial towns, sow terror. They murder, burn, loot, steal, rape with rare cruelty," adding that the deterioration of the security situation in recent weeks has generated a new humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands of displaced people https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40479-icihaiti-armed-gangs-130-000-children-displaced-in-port-au-prince.html who spontaneously occupy several sites to escape gang violence.

According to him, it is "urgent" that the United Nations Security Council "authorizes the deployment of a specialized multinational mission, with a police and military component, in support of the PNH, in order to combat the gangs and restore security [...] The use of force, as a first step, remains essential to defeat gangs, restore order and create an environment conducive to the proper functioning of the State."

He also mentioned the crisis with the Dominican Republic generated by the construction of an irrigation canal in Haitian territory with a water intake on the Massacre River (called the Dajabón River in the neighboring Republic) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40530-haiti-flash-dominican-republic-does-not-seek-confrontation-with-haiti.html emphasizing that his country "has the same right" as the Dominican Republic to "use resources in binational water".

"[... Haiti is not at war with anyone, Haiti is a generous and united people who believe in dialogue and the possibility of fairly sharing common resources with mutual respect [....] We have no intention against our neighbors with whom we share the island and with whom we share the border," adding "history reminds us daily that the violence of a brother country only brings bitterness which is transmitted from generation to generation" and that "the Massacre River has been a source of historical friction between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and invites us not to resurrect these wounds or create new ones."

"Haiti [...] demands an equitable distribution of the resources of this river," declared Ariel Henry who is now making it a matter of State. However, he clarified that Haiti favored the path of dialogue and negotiation in this matter to overcome what he described as "useless unrest" between the two Republics.

Speech by Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry to the UN Tribune :

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40530-haiti-flash-dominican-republic-does-not-seek-confrontation-with-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40479-icihaiti-armed-gangs-130-000-children-displaced-in-port-au-prince.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39968-haiti-flash-the-hell-of-port-au-prince-told-by-its-inhabitants-videos.html

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre