Foreign intervention won’t save Haiti. This is what America can do instead. 

The situation in Port-au-Prince is rapidly unraveling. Gangs are running Haiti’s capital. Basic necessities such as food and fuel are difficult to find and even difficult to obtain. It was sold at an exorbitant price on the black market.

Three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed by a raiding party, Haiti has no effective government. The prime minister was in a difficult situation, Ariel Henry announced his resignation just a few days ago.and neither the police nor the military can keep the peace.

This turmoil is not happening on the other side of the world in Somalia or Myanmar. It’s happening right on America’s doorstep, and in one of the world’s oldest democracies. However, despite the urgency of the situation and its proximity to the U.S. mainland, most Americans and news outlets are unaware of the events occurring in Haiti.As America Marines have been called in twice in the past two weeks to protect the U.S. embassy. In Port-au-Prince, our focus is elsewhere.

It is time for the United States to break its silence and stand strong as a partner to the Haitian people. You don’t have to do much to bring about positive change, but inaction can cause great harm.

First, President Biden must speak directly to the Haitian people and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to peace and stability in the region. People living in constant chaos and violence can quickly fall into despair. They need to know we support them.

Next, Congress has to actually do its job and pass the legislation. The House and Senate must put aside partisanship and bickering and change the law to support Haiti’s law enforcement and military. At the same time, lawmakers need to ensure funding is available to send needed supplies to civilian and military authorities. With sufficient supplies and training, there is no reason why Haiti’s police and soldiers cannot restore order.

The White House would also have to direct U.S. law enforcement to stop. Flow of illegal weapons to Haiti. Much of this traffic originates from Florida, which sadly gives gangs in places like Port-au-Prince the firepower they need to wreak havoc on civilian populations.

In Haiti’s capital, people have seen the US ambassador come and go – three times in the past three years alone. The time has come for the White House to create a permanent special envoy to Haiti to promote stability in Haiti, a consistent U.S. presence, and efforts to support Haiti’s self-determination.

Each of these steps is modest and modest and can be carried out without loss of American life or significant expenditure of American treasure. At the same time, none of these proposals calls for full-scale American intervention. We have seen time and again that great powers rush into Haiti during times of crisis, only to make the situation worse.

France, This country’s brutal history of colonialism and slavery, left a scar on the psyche of the Haitian people. The United States also tried to control Haiti by military force, but failed to produce sustainable peace. After the devastating 2010 earthquake, the United Nations also came to Haiti with the best of intentions. brought cholera into the countrykilled thousands of people.

America’s success as a democracy was tied to Haiti’s success from the beginning. Cash-starved France during the Napoleonic era was only saved by Haiti’s armed revolt against French colonial rule from 1801 to 1804. willing to sell Louisiana Territory To America. Thomas Jefferson doubled the area of ​​the United States with one purchase. When my home state of Louisiana first applied for statehood, the influx of Haitian immigrants to New Orleans provided the population needed to qualify for full membership in the union.

Our job now is to be the other side’s faithful friends and trusted allies in this democratic experiment. While the United States has nothing to lose by sharing supplies and expertise with Haiti’s military and law enforcement, Haiti is gaining little of what it needs to restore peace and stability.

But we can’t play hero and try to “save” Haiti. Internal order cannot be restored by external forces at the expense of the Haitian people’s right to self-determination. It is possible to help our Haitian friends while respecting their sovereignty. So let us help the Haitian people restore peace and stability and return to an independent civilian government.

Lieutenant General Russell L. Honoré (retired) A former U.S. Army commander who led Task Force Katrina after the New Orleans disaster. In 2022, after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, he mediated the Haitian Unity Summit at the Southern University Law Center.