The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, issued a warning during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, stating that his administration would take decisive actions to safeguard the country if the U.N.-backed mission in Haiti fails to address gang violence effectively. Abinader did not specify the nature of the actions that might be taken.

Gangs in Haiti currently control 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, marking a significant increase in power following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. The violence has resulted in approximately 700,000 Haitians being displaced in recent years, with many fleeing to the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

The President expressed gratitude to Kenya for leading the mission in Haiti, which is supported by nearly 400 police officers from Kenya, as well as additional personnel from Jamaica and Belize. However, the current deployment falls short of the 2,500 personnel promised by various countries for the mission, leading to concerns over the adequacy of resources by the U.S. government, which is contemplating a potential U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Abinader emphasized the crucial need for the current mission to establish stability in Haiti to enable the holding of free and transparent elections. Notably, Haiti has not conducted elections since 2016, and a transitional presidential council has been mandated to organize elections by February 2026.

Abinader stressed the importance of preventing the failure of the mission, noting that Haiti’s collapse would be imminent if efforts were to falter. The President highlighted the impact of Haiti’s instability on the Dominican Republic’s security, citing instances where Dominican resources were strained due to the crisis in Haiti.

Abinader acknowledged that his government had deported over 170,000 individuals believed to be Haitian in the previous year, although the number estimated by the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration is higher, at over 224,000. Critics have accused Abinader of violating the rights of Haitians and individuals of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic, allegations that the President vehemently denies.

In his address, Abinader also outlined the Dominican Republic’s successes in tackling poverty and reducing the murder rate, highlighting a record-low poverty rate of 19% and a decrease in the murder rate to 10 killings per 100,000 inhabitants. The President of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, Edgard Leblanc Fils, is scheduled to deliver a speech at the U.N. General Assembly following Abinader’s remarks.

Following the President’s speech, government officials from Haiti did not immediately respond to requests for comments.