US Dealt Blow as Russia & China Shoot Down Proposals on Kenya’s Mission in Haiti
As pressure continues to mount over the slow pace of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) to restore peace in Haiti, China and Russia on Monday declined a plan to have the mission turned into a United Nations-led operation.
Representatives from the two countries while attending the UN Security Council meeting in New York, succeeded in having the proposal to have the mission led by the UN as proposed by the US shot down.
According to China’s deputy ambassador, Geng Shuang, despite initial attempts by the UN to send multiple peacekeeping operations to Haiti, the results were yet to be satisfactory.
Shuang while casting doubt over the proposal, claimed that discussing other options such as turning the mission into a UN-led would only interfere with the security operation.
A photo collage of US President Joe Bide (left), Kenyan President William Ruto ( centre ) and China President Xi Jinping
Vanity Fair
However, a US representative while defending the move to have the mission led by the UN, stated that if the proposal is adopted, it would trigger a coherent effort by the US government to work with Haitian authorities and the UN to transform the mission.
“Those who oppose a UN force will have to explain why they’re against a call from the Haitian government,” the US official said.
The decision by China and Russia to turn down the proposal was not in doubt as both countries have opposed past UN interventions in Haiti and have used the current crisis to publicly criticize President Joe Biden’s policies in the Caribbean nation.
During the meeting, the two countries also called on the MSS Mission to hasten the process of restoring peace in the Caribbean nation.
It is not the first time that China and Russia have contradicted the US over the mission in Haiti. Three months ago, both Russia and China faulted Biden’s administration for reportedly failing to block the illicit trade of firearms.
According to the Chinese and Russian ambassadors, most illegal guns seized in Haiti, and across the wider Caribbean, have been traced back to the United States.
“We do not see the current embargo doing anything to prevent the flow of arms from the US,” stated the Russian ambassador who spoke during a UN Security Council meeting held in July this year.
The ambassadors from the two countries urged the US to strengthen its sanctions by targeting traffickers and imposing foreign asset freezes and travel bans on them.
President William Ruto addressing Kenyan Police Officers in Haiti when he made a stopover on September 21, 2024.
PSC
