Haiti pins hope on UN force to combat gang crisis

Haiti’s long-running battle against powerful criminal gangs is entering a new phase with the arrival of a UN-authorised Gang Suppression Force (GSF) earlier this month, marking a shift in both strategy and mandate.

The new force, expected to eventually deploy around 5,500 personnel, replaces the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). Unlike its predecessor — which was limited to supporting local police — the GSF will have broader powers, including the authority to carry out arrests across the country, as an article by Al Jazeera highlights.

In early April, the force confirmed the arrival of its first contingent from Chad. The mission is being led by Jack Christofides of South Africa, a former UN official tasked with overseeing operations.

The deployment was approved by the United Nations Security Council last September with a 12-month mandate. While 12 members voted in favour, China, Russia and rotating temporary Pakistan abstained.

Legacy of intervention and mistrust

The new mission arrives after the MSS, first deployed in 2023, struggled to contain escalating violence, hampered by limited funding, manpower and institutional backing.

As the article recalls, foreign intervention in Haiti has long been controversial. Following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, a cholera outbreak linked to UN peacekeepers killed around 10,000 people. UN personnel have also faced repeated allegations of sexual abuse during earlier missions, contributing to deep public mistrust.

Violence has surged in the years since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, which plunged the country into political turmoil.

With no elections held since 2016 and legislative polls repeatedly delayed, Haiti’s political institutions have weakened. The terms of the last elected senators expired in 2023, further deepening the vacuum.

Criminal groups have exploited the instability to expand their control, often challenging the legitimacy of national leadership. The country is currently led by interim Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who has been in talks with UN officials over efforts to restore order.

Today, gangs control as much as 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with roughly 26 groups operating across the densely populated city.

Human toll mounts as elections loom

The humanitarian cost has been severe. According to UN estimates, at least 16,000 people have been killed since 2022, while more than 1.5 million have been displaced — many facing acute food shortages.

The deployment of the GSF comes as Haiti prepares for long-delayed elections, with the first round scheduled for August. Around 300 political parties and groups have registered to take part, raising hopes for a return to constitutional order — though security concerns remain a major obstacle.

By Nazrin Sadigova