“This is the face of Haiti today: a country at war, a modern-day Guernica, a human tragedy.” From the podium of the UN General Assembly, Haiti’s transitional leader delivered a stark plea to the international community.
For the past 15 months, a Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) – authorized by the Security Council but reliant on voluntary contributions – has tried to restore stability.
Security alone, however, will not resolve Haiti’s turmoil. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, the country has been without an elected government. Successive interim administrations have failed to re-establish order.
The Haitian leader also pressed for reparations from France, recalling the 1825 ordinance that forced Haiti to pay 150 million gold francs in exchange for recognition of independence – a “ransom” that drained its economy until 1947, he told delegates.
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