UN Council urges halt to small arms reaching Haiti gangs

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution that calls on all countries to stop the transfer of small arms, light weapons and ammunition to any party in crisis-torn Haiti supporting gang violence and criminal activity. Haiti is experiencing escalating bloodshed and kidnappings by criminal gangs, and China had proposed a U.N. arms embargo on the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. But other council members said an embargo would be unenforceable. The resolution drafted by the United States and Mexico that was approved on a 15-0 vote Friday does demand an immediate cessation of gang violence and criminal activities, as China wanted. The resolution also extends the mandate of the U.N. political mission in Haiti. Its previous authorization expired Friday.