Kenya’s President William Ruto, who heads the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), noted limited progress since the police force deployed 15 months ago with UN Security Council approval.
“When we arrived, the airport was surrounded by gangs. Today, it is functioning perfectly,” he said, also pointing to the securing of the presidential palace and reopening of key access routes to the capital Port-au-Prince.
Yet gangs still control some 85 per cent of the city, he acknowledged. The MSS, hampered by insufficient resources, has been unable to break their grip as its mandate nears expiry.
The United States, echoing Kenya’s concerns, urged a stronger UN-mandated presence. “Haiti is at a crossroads,” warned Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
Washington is pressing for the transformation of the MSS into a 5,500-member so-called Gang Suppression Force, operating under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which authorises military action to counter threats to peace.
“The time to act is now. The Haitian people cannot wait,” he stressed, calling on Member States to back a draft resolution tabled with Panama.
Haiti can’t go it alone
For Haitian authorities, international support is indispensable. “Haiti cannot and will not be able to face this security crisis, fuelled by transnational criminal networks, alone,” said Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the country’s Presidential Transitional Council.
The Security Council is expected to decide shortly on the future of international engagement in Haiti, where hunger, displacement and sexual violence continue to worsen alongside the insecurity.
Ukraine war: Russian forces ‘used drones to pursue and bomb victims’
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday was briefed on the ongoing and devastating impact of the full-scale Russian invasion on Ukraine.
In an update, independent investigators from the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine created by the Council expressed deep concern at the growing number of civilian casualties from Russian attacks.
‘Relentless attacks’
Erik Møse, chair of the panel, said that “relentless attacks with long-range weapons…have intensified” throughout Ukraine.
Attacks against civilians have also increased, using short-range drones in frontline areas: “Russian armed forces have been carrying out attacks from positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River with drones that allow real time observation and tracking of targets.
“They pursued victims with drones and dropped explosives on them, causing deaths and injuries. Drones have also struck ambulances and other emergency services, preventing them from reaching the victims.”
Mr. Mose, who is not a UN staff member and works in an independent capacity, said that the investigation had been unable to verify Russian allegations of drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces, citing a lack of access to the affected territory and a lack of engagement by Russia.
Sudan crisis deepens: Violence, famine and cholera threaten millions in Darfur
In Sudan, conditions are deteriorating rapidly in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur.
Between 17 and 19 September more than 7,500 people fled the Abu Shouk displacement camp and parts of El Fasher, according to reports from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Following an uptick in deadly attacks in El Fasher, Secretary-General António Guterres and relief chief Tom Fletcher raised urgent concerns over the escalating crisis, warning that civilians remain trapped and many face famine conditions.
Children sit beside makeshift tents in El Fasher, North Darfur, where intensified fighting has left thousands trapped.
Over 70 killed in mosque attack
The warnings follow Friday’s Mosque attack, reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces militia, which killed over 70 people – including at least 11 children – according to initial reports from UN children’s agency UNICEF.
Humanitarian response efforts have also been severely disrupted by rising violence, with one local organization reportedly forced to suspend operations in the besieged Government-held Darfuri city of El Fasher.
These challenges are further compounded by seasonal flooding and a nationwide cholera outbreak.
In South Darfur State, “more than 5,200 suspected cases and 250 deaths have been reported since May,” said Mr. Dujarric. Beginning on Sunday, the UN and its partners launched a large-scale cholera vaccination campaign across Darfur, targeting around 1.9 million people across the region.
At the start of high-level week, “Mr. Guterres calls once again for concerted international action in support of the people of Sudan”, the UN Spokesperson said.
Jail sentence for China blogger Zhang Zhan ‘deeply disturbing’: OHCHR
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has described the jailing in China of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan as deeply disturbing.
The development comes after Ms. Zhan was sentenced to four more years in prison on what OHCHR calls “the vague and ill-defined charge of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’.”
More details of this latest charge have not been divulged, but it is believed to be based on her social media activity, the UN rights office said. It also raised concerns about the conduct of her trial, claiming that independent observers were not allowed to attend her hearing.
According to OHCHR, this is the second time that Ms. Zhan has been convicted and imprisoned for this offence.
It has called for her “immediate and unconditional release”.
