Dominican Republic backs Salvadoran troops fighting gangs in Haiti
Dominican President Abinader confirms logistics and intelligence support for El Salvador's 2,500 troops battling Haitian gangs. Coordination questions mount as forces operate outside UN framework.
Dominican Republic supports El Salvador's gang crackdown in Haiti
Dominican President Luis Abinader confirmed Tuesday that his government is providing logistics and intelligence support to El Salvador as roughly 2,500 Salvadoran troops conduct anti-gang operations in neighbouring Haiti, AP News reports.
Abinader spoke as scrutiny grows over the deployment, with Salvadoran forces operating largely outside the framework of the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support mission, the official gang suppression force active in the country.
The Dominican president called on the UN-backed force to coordinate its actions with El Salvador's troops and to "decisively support the Salvadoran military and the attitude of President Bukele."
Igor Rugwiza, spokesperson for the gang suppression force, said Tuesday that the mission is coordinating closely with Haitian authorities and relevant international partners "in support of shared security objectives." He added that any activity undertaken by the force "is conducted in accordance with its mandate, established command and control arrangements, the rules of engagement, and applicable human rights law obligations."
Haitian prime minister welcomes Salvadoran commitment
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Tuesday for his support in fighting gangs. "I salute the commitment of the Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs," Fils-Aimé wrote on X, adding that contributions from the gang suppression force, Haiti's own police and soldiers, and international partners "allow us to strengthen operations on the ground, regain control of the territory and restore state authority."
Fils-Aimé is scheduled to visit El Salvador next week to discuss the future role of Salvadoran troops in Haiti.
Bukele this week celebrated a joint attack by Haitian police and Salvadoran troops on the home of Wilson Joseph — known as Lanmò San Jou — leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. Joseph was not killed in Sunday's strike. "We kept our promise," Bukele wrote on X Tuesday. "Most of them ran away without even trying to fight. What cowards!"
Abinader pledges continued support, declines operational details
Abinader pledged to continue helping Bukele and noted that El Salvador's defence minister is in near-daily contact with his Dominican counterpart. A spokesperson for Abinader declined to provide specifics on the type of assistance the Dominican Republic has extended.
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Abinader has previously pledged to monitor the shared border using drones, soldiers and armoured vehicles, and to respond to any threats to Dominican stability.
El Salvador originally deployed troops after four aviation technicians were attacked on 18 October in gang-controlled territory. The four men remain missing.
Amnesty International demands transparency
Amnesty International called on both Bukele and Haiti's prime minister to ensure that Salvadoran operations comply with international human rights law. "Both governments must make public the agreement governing the deployment and explain how they oversee the deployed forces, what rules govern the use of force, to whom they are accountable, and how people can report possible violations without fear of reprisals," said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International's Americas director, in a statement issued Monday.
Experts warn of coordination gaps
Sophie Rutenbar, senior expert at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said Tuesday during a virtual conference that Haiti is "extremely crowded" with security forces. Alongside Salvadoran troops, the UN-backed mission and Haitian police and soldiers, the private security firm founded by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince is also operating in the country.
"We don't know very much about the coordination mechanisms right now," Rutenbar said. "It's not a great situation."
She noted that Haitian public sentiment is "largely positive" toward the Salvadoran forces. "It's very appealing to have someone come in and save you after things have been bad for so long," she said. Rutenbar also cautioned, however, that civilians have been killed in attacks targeting gangs and questioned how long El Salvador can sustain its current operational tempo.
"What they're doing is a very expensive proposition," she said, adding that integration with the UN-backed force would bring additional resources. "Bukele is being hailed as a savior right now. Reality will probably hit at some point. It's a challenging thing what they're doing."
Wolf Pamphile, founder and CEO of Haiti Policy House, a U.S.-based think tank, said during the same conference that the 400 Mawozo gang remains the biggest challenge for Haiti's government and the gang suppression force. While he acknowledged the promise of El Salvador's actions, he argued the Salvadoran troops may ultimately need to work within the existing UN structure.
"It would have been better if the Haitian government steered Salvadoran soldiers within a structure that already exists," Pamphile said. "It's hard to pull that back."
Source: Google News DM — Crime