TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Haiti's representative to Taiwan, Ambassador Roudy Stanley Penn, said that the United Nations' (UN) decision to send a security force to the country is what Haitian people have been waiting for.

Penn told Taiwan News on Tuesday (Oct. 3) that the force will restore order, and allow Haitians to live and rebuild without fear. Speaking one day after the UN vote to send the force, Penn said that President Ariel Henry, who is also the current Prime Minister, first called for support a year ago.

Haiti's gangs have grown in power since former president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021, and have since forced nearly 200,000 people from their homes. According to the UN, more than 3,000 people have been murdered, and more than 1,500 have been kidnapped for ransom this year alone.

"The country was waiting for this, and now we have it," Penn said. The UN will not send peacekeepers, but have instead authorized an international security mission to Haiti, which will be made up of about 1,000 Kenyan security personnel.

"I think in the coming days, we will see that the thinking will be different, because people will be more confident,” Penn said. "And the gangs, that brought this kind of violence to the country and given us a very bad reputation, they will start to be afraid, because they know Haiti is not alone."

Watch Taiwan News' interview with Ambassador Penn on YouTube.

Penn said he returned to Haiti last month, and experienced the fear that had gripped the country. "People were scared about trafficking, and even when you go out to see someone, people were scared," he said.

"I think now, with international force accompanied by the national police, there is an opportunity to address the security issue," he said. "It will be an opportunity for the Haitian people to react to this activity, and restart the economy, that has been in a kind of stagnation."

Penn said it is still too early to tell how long it will take the force to restore order. He said that Haitian police have already been in communication with the Kenyan officials and other partners to plan how to move forward.

Penn acknowledged that the UN's role in Haiti is complicated. A peacekeeping mission to Haiti that lasted from 2004 to 2017, was marred by many cases of sexual abuse committed by UN personnel.

People fleeing gang violence take shelter at a sports arena last month in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (REUTERS, Ralph Tedy Erol, file photo)

"I know that Haitian people might have a lot to criticize about UN intervention in Haiti," he said. "Unfortunately, just as they have given good contributions, on the other hand, you find some very difficult and terrible memories," he said.

However, Penn said that as the situation stands now, Haiti needs international support. "This is something requested by the Haitian government, and it's supposed to, and will be, implemented with the government, led by (Prime Minister) Dr. Ariel Henry,” he said.

Restoration of order needs to involve people from all sectors of Haitian society, Penn said. This includes the government, intellectuals, and other officials.

"This is the time for the government to work with our partners to make this intervention a success, because it can be," he said.

The Kenyan force said they expect to arrive in Haiti in January, per Reuters. No exact dates have been set for their operation.