Abinader urges completion of international force deployment in Haiti as mandate nears expiry

Dominican President Luis Abinader called on the United Nations General Assembly to complete the deployment of the international force authorized to combat armed gangs in neighboring Haiti, whose mandate expires September 30, according to Diario Libre and EFE. Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the UN on September 23, 2026, Abinader said the multinational force currently has only about a fifth of its authorized personnel, and warned that any renewal must be accompanied by the resources and troops needed to fulfill its mandate. He urged enforcement of the arms embargo against Haiti, sanctions on those who finance and protect the gangs, and the strengthening of Haiti's police, armed forces and justice system. Abinader recalled that the Dominican Republic has contributed resources to the mission's trust fund, facilitated transit and logistics from its territory, hosted a UN support office, collaborated with the sanctions regime and treated mission personnel in its hospitals. He reiterated that the Haitian crisis is a matter of national security for his country and that "there is no Dominican solution." Separately, a European Parliament delegation touring the Dominican-Haitian border said the crisis requires an international response and that the Dominican Republic cannot bear it alone, Diario Libre reported.