Topic:
Country: Mozambique
Delegate Name: Saniya Mishra
Over 300 criminal gangs are terrorizing the citizens of Haiti, seizing control of necessary resources and regularly committing atrocities such as kidnapping and rape. Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, violence has overswept the country as these gangs have claimed control of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Thousands have since been killed or sexually assaulted. Meanwhile, the fighting has blocked civilian access to medical care, food, and water. This situation is one that has worsened over decades. It initially prompted the United Nations to release a peacekeeping force: MINUSTAH. However, the force was accused of furthering sexual harassment and contributing to the breakout of cholera. Therefore, in 2019, the United Nations instead sent a new multinational group, BINUH, to maintain stability by supporting the Haitian National Police. BINUH has been continuously and is currently set to expire July 15, 2024, but it is clear that this support won’t be sufficient if the flow of weapons into the country doesn’t stop.
The Republic of Mozambique does not condone the actions of the gangs in Haiti and would like to see efforts committed to combating the violence and providing aid for the afflicted civilians. When there was internal conflict within Mozambique, the leaders took action to come to an agreement and settle peace agreements and would now like the same for Haiti. All the while, the delegation of Mozambique would not be in favor of directly involving in and escalating the conflict as in the past, there has been far too much involvement of other nations in the affairs of Haiti, as has been for many other countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia that have been colonized by European powers. But, that does not mean that Mozambique will stand by as the conflict continues, so the delegation would look favorably upon actions that aid in resolving or lessening the violence and suffering long term without adding to the long-term presence of international authorities.
In order to resolve the situation in Haiti, the Republic of Mozambique would support increased humanitarian assistance focusing on offering medical aid, food, and water. Troops could also be utilized to de-escalate the conflict, but they should not be focused on directly combatting the two parties and should instead work to end the supply of firearms into the country by monitoring the borders. Directly fighting the gangs would be unproductive with their abundance and would not tackle the root issue of the increased violence, which is tied to the access to weaponry. Taking action against the firearm supply will also prevent future fighting with gangs and allow for civilians to restore their communities with improved access to resources and assurance of prosperity. Since there have been past issues with the actions of some forces in Haiti, the presence of a multinational force would allow for accountability of involved agents so as to follow proper guidelines and not further the degradation of the situation in Haiti. Therefore, if BINUH is renewed, it should be amended to include the involvement of additional countries and stipulate specifically what the troops should follow and the consequences of not adhering to the United Nation’s policies. This will ensure that Haiti is receiving the best care and can more readily focus on tackling the current issue at hand rather than dealing with grievances caused by forces intended to aid the aforementioned situation. Thus, Mozambique would like to be a part of efforts that provide humanitarian aid and establish multinational troops to work against the incoming supply of firearms to Haiti.
The delegation of Mozambique looks forward to collaborating with other nations in favor of supporting Haiti and their civilians so they can sooner reclaim their capital city, their communities, and their peace.
