UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States has stepped up its campaign to transform the Kenyan-led multinational force in Haiti into a U.N. peacekeeping force, spurred by escalating gang violence that closed all air traffic to the capital Port-au-Prince this year. week.

The United States proposed a UN peacekeeping mission early September in order to obtain regular funding for the multinational force supported by the UN which is trying to help Haiti’s national force control gangs that are facing a serious funding crisis.

Since then, the gangs intensified their attackswith an outbreak of violence last Sunday in the capital when Haiti’s transitional council created to restore democratic order fired the interim prime minister amid internal political infighting. The gangs, now estimated by the UN to control 85% of the capital, closed the country’s main airport on Monday after shooting at several planes, injuring a flight attendant.

The United States attempted this week to get the 15 members of the UN Security Council to approve a draft resolution that would begin the transformation of the Kenyan-led force. It calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “promptly undertake preparations and contingency planning” for a transformation, which would take several months to accomplish.

The United States set a deadline Thursday to voice its objections to the draft resolution, and two diplomats said Russia and China, which have publicly raised concerns about using a U.N. force, refused to give the green light.

Russia has said it wants an open Security Council briefing from the UN Secretariat followed by private Council consultations on the latest situation in Haiti – and this is planned for Wednesday afternoon, diplomats said, saying speaking on condition of anonymity because contact was private.

The force was supposed to have 2,500 international police officers, but the head of the UN political mission in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, told the Council late last month that about 430 police officers were deployed, including 400 from Kenya and the rest of the Bahamas and Belize. and Jamaica.

Last month, Kenyan President William Ruto said another contingent of 600 troops would be sent to Haiti in November.

Salvador said the United Nations trust fund that finances the multinational force, and which relies on voluntary contributions, “remains seriously underfunded, which could impact the deployment and prevent it from carrying out its operational tasks.” support for the Haitian National Police.”

The UN announced Friday that the trust fund had received $85.3 million of the $96.8 million promised. The United States agreed to contribute $300 million to the multinational force.

But that’s still well below the $600 million cost of deploying a 2,500-strong force for a year, according to the Security Council. And the question remains whether the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump would continue to voluntarily fund a multinational force.

The power of gangs in Haiti has increased since 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. THE increase in murders, rapes and kidnappings led to a violent uprising by civilian self-defense groups.

Haiti’s leaders have requested a U.N. peacekeeping force, and the U.S. draft resolution notes that the permanent council of the Organization of American States adopted a resolution on Nov. 13 titled “In Support of the Haiti’s request for a U.S. peacekeeping operation.

The arrival of the first Kenyans in June marked the fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti.

While some Haitians welcome them, others view the multinational force and the possibility of a new U.N. peacekeeping force with extreme caution.

Since the early 1900s, there have been at least three major foreign military interventions in Haiti, led by the United States and the United Nations.

The last UN peacekeeping mission, from 2004 to 2017, was marked by sexual assault allegations and the introduction of cholera, which killed nearly 10,000 people.

The story continues