China, Russia Oppose New UN Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti
China, Russia Oppose New UN Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti
Above: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Geng Shuang speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on May 13, 2024. Image copyright: *** GETTY *** Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
The Facts
At a meeting of the UN Security Council arranged on Wednesday at their request, China and Russia expressed their opposition to transforming the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti into a UN peacekeeping mission.
Representatives for both countries alleged that conditions on the ground would expose peacekeepers to great security risks, with China's Geng Shuang calling for the council to focus on enable the MSS to fulfill its recently renewed mandate.
The Spin
It's hard to understand the reasoning leading China and Russia to oppose an official UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. As the understaffed and underfunded MSS has failed to address gang violence in Haiti, this transition has become the only hope for the Caribbean country.
