Blinken urges Haiti to hold elections next year as gang violence grips country

During a visit to Haiti on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the renewal of a United Nations (UN) mandate for an international security mission to help Haiti fight armed gangs that have taken over much of the country's capital and expanded to nearby regions. The mission's mandate, first approved for 12 months, is set to expire at the start of October but has seen few results with few troops on the ground and far less funding than hoped. Blinken said he planned to convene a ministerial meeting at the UN General Assembly this month, to encourage more financial contributions as well as to renew the mission's mandate. “We also want to make sure that Haiti is back on a clear democratic track and that means elections next year," Blinken added. Meanwhile, Haitian refugee Theodore Huguens said that Blinken’s visit was “a joke” and that he won’t be “doing anything” for Haitians. ”He’s here to manage his interests and the interests of the U.S., because the weapons with which the gangs operate come from the U.S.,” Huguens said. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/10611304/haiti-kenya-police-force-comments-gang-violence/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #Haiti #Blinken