Dominican Republic warns that Haiti is not ready to hold elections.
Maria Herrera Mellado 
Dominican President Luis Abinader stressed that a collapse in Haiti would have a negative impact on the entire region.
Speaking at the 79th session of the UN, the President of the Dominican Republic said that, less than a year before the elections scheduled for Haiti, the situation remains serious. «We have reached this point with enormous efforts, but less than a year before the elections in Haiti, the conditions are still not met,» he stressed.
Abinader said that so far only 400 soldiers from the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission have been deployed, a number he considers insufficient. «For the force to be effective, a minimum of 1,000 soldiers are needed,» he said.
The Dominican president also stressed that «to date, the resources necessary for the full deployment of the mission and to meet the objectives of peace and support for the holding of free, fair and transparent elections have not yet been deposited in the trust fund for Haiti.»
Abinader also described it as «unacceptable» that «at this point, the countries that have influenced the situation in Haiti» or that have «committed to its solution have not kept their promises.» Despite this, he thanked Kenya for having sent the majority of the troops supporting the Haitian National Police, and the United States, «which has assumed the majority of the financial and logistical effort.» https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N8qJgEG76zw
Abinader called on the international community to continue working for the stability of Haiti, warning that a collapse in that country would affect the entire region.
“No. We cannot allow the progress made so far to crumble, because otherwise the collapse of Haiti will be inevitable and its consequences will impact the entire region,» he said.
Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has warned that the arrival of international forces has been very slow, while gangs continue to gain ground in much of the capital, Port-au- Prince.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, Haiti has lacked clear leadership, exacerbating instability. Recently, Haiti’s transitional government announced the creation of a Provisional Electoral Council to organize the first elections in a decade, scheduled for 2026.
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UN human rights expert William O’Neill ended his official visit to Haiti with a warning about the «agony» and deteriorating situation in the Caribbean country, aggravated by violence and crime. Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has completed 100 days in office with little progress on security. However, on Thursday he announced that general elections will be held in November 2025, offering hope in a country that has not had a popularly elected government since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
United Nations human rights expert William O’Neill warned on Friday, September 20, of the worsening situation in Haiti, a country plagued by clashes between gangs and criminal groups. Despite the establishment of a transitional government that replaced the unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the crisis has escalated over the past year.
«Unfortunately, all indicators remain extremely alarming, and the most worrying of all is insecurity,» O’Neill said in his report to the UN.
O’Neill urged the international community to redouble its efforts to restore security, highlighting the security mission being assembled, which includes some 400 Kenyan police and additional troops from Jamaica and Belize already deployed in Haiti.
«The solutions are there and they already exist, but we must immediately redouble our efforts,» said the expert at the end of his visit to Haiti.
«This persistent agony must end. It’s a race against time.»
The UN is trying to stem gang violence in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and elsewhere, but the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorised by the UN Security Council in October 2023, has so far deployed less than a quarter of its planned contingent. The equipment it has received is insufficient, as are the resources available.
A lack of resources exacerbates the ineffectiveness of the Haitian police, which does not have the logistical and technical capabilities to confront organized crime.
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«The situation is practically unsustainable,» said a police officer in the town of Jérémie, in southern Haiti.
Haitian National Police Director Rameau Normil has expressed concern that there are only 5,000 officers available for a population of more than 11 million people.
Despite the international embargo on Haiti, weapons and ammunition continue to be smuggled into the country, allowing gangs to carry out large-scale attacks and expand their control and influence into new territories.
According to the United Nations, between April and the end of June, at least 1,379 people were killed or injured in Haiti, and another 428 were kidnapped.
Meanwhile, some 700,000 people have been displaced from their homes in recent years by persistent gang violence in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere; more than half of those displaced are children, according to O’Neill.
The gangs, mostly armed with weapons smuggled from the United States, have taken control of much of the capital and spread into neighbouring areas, causing mass displacement of people, shortages of food and medicine, risk of famine, and rampant sexual violence.
The humanitarian crisis was triggered by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, followed by the government of Ariel Henry, who in 2022 called for an international security mission to support the police.
María Herrera Mellado es una abogada de EE.UU. y licenciada en España. Doctora en Ciencias Jurídicas y Analista política. La Dra. Herrera es conocida por su amplia experiencia en análisis y consultas en el diseño de políticas públicas, propuestas de ley y gestión en relaciones internacionales.
Su reconocimiento proviene de sus contribuciones al análisis y representación legal de diversas organizaciones, empresas e individuos que han visto abusados sus derechos humanos, su privacidad o en la inclusión de políticas efectivas fundamentalmente en el ámbito de la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas, así como la lucha contra la corrupción.
Su formación académica y experiencias profesionales la convierten en una voz respetada en el debate público y en el análisis de temas de actualidad sobre todo en los desafíos políticos y legales contemporáneos.
María Herrera Mellado is a U.S.-based attorney also licensed in Spain. She holds a PhD in Legal Sciences and is known as a media legal and policy analyst.
Dr. Herrera is recognized for her extensive experience in analyzing and consulting on public policy design, legislative proposals, and international relations management.
Her recognition stems from her contributions to the analysis and legal representation of various organizations, companies, and individuals whose human rights or privacy have been violated, or who have benefited from the inclusion of effective policies, primarily in the areas of transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption.
Her academic background and professional experience make her a respected voice in public debate and in the analysis of current issues, particularly in contemporary political and legal challenges.