The UN chief calls for a robust international police force to help combat Haiti’s armed gangs

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for a robust international force to help combat Haiti’s armed gangs and restore security in the impoverished Caribbean nation. He told reporters Thursday that a U.N. expert’s call for between 1,000 and 2,000 police officers trained to deal with gang warfare is not an exaggeration of the numbers needed. The U.N. chief said the U.N. is not calling for a military force or a political mission. Guterres appealed to U.N. Security Council members and potential contributing countries “to act now” to deploy a multinational force to assist the Haitian National Police. Haiti has been requesting such a force since last October.