The upsurge in violence in the face of an international armed force in Haiti has raised questions about the effectiveness of the Kenya-led mission, as well as whether the deployment of a formal United Nations peacekeeping operation would make a difference.

Diplomats at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday voiced broad support for converting a security mission helping Haitian police fight escalating gang warfare into a formal U.N. peacekeeping mission,

When Kenyan police arrived in Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed mission earlier this year to quell gang violence, hopes were high.

The United States has stepped up its campaign to transform the Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti into a U.N. peacekeeping force, spurred by escalating gang violence that shut all air traffic to the capital Port-au-Prince this week.