Haiti welcomes UN approval of new Gang Suppression Force

Haiti on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the United Nations Security Council to authorize the transition of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission into a new Gang Suppression Force (GSF), in what officials described as a decisive move to confront escalating violence.

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By a vote of 12 in favor, none against, and three abstentions — from China, Pakistan, and Russia — the Council adopted Resolution 2793, jointly introduced by the United States and Panama. The resolution establishes the GSF for an initial 12-month period, with a mandate to deploy up to 5,550 personnel, including 5,500 uniformed military and police officers and 50 civilians.

U.S. Ambassador Michael Waltz hailed the move as “a key first step” to addressing Haiti’s deepening humanitarian and security crisis. “This resolution, undertaken in close collaboration with Haitian authorities, offers new hope for the people of Haiti,” Waltz said. Panama’s representative added, “Today we say to Haiti, once and for all, you are not alone.”

Haiti’s envoy to the UN, Ericq Pierre, called the Council’s decision a “decisive turning point” in the country’s battle against heavily armed gangs that have destabilized the nation since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. While acknowledging the MSS mission’s contributions, Pierre stressed that “the scale and sophistication of the threat far exceeds the mandate initially granted” and said the new force provides “the international community the means to respond to the gravity of the situation.”

Caricom is assisting the UN Support Office in Haiti with logistical and administrative backing for the new mission. Guyana’s UN ambassador, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, speaking for her country along with Algeria, Sierra Leone, and Somalia, underscored the need to safeguard human rights, especially for children who make up an estimated half of gang membership. She also highlighted regional support from Kenya, Barbados, The Bahamas, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Jamaica.

Not all Council members were convinced. Russia’s representative argued the MSS had not been properly evaluated before being replaced and warned the new mission risked becoming “independent of national and international oversight, with a virtually unrestricted mandate to use force.” Moscow cautioned that “ill-conceived and rushed steps may lead to outcomes that are completely contrary to our goals.”

Despite the criticism, Haitian officials and allies insist the GSF represents the most robust international effort yet to help the Caribbean nation restore order amid one of its most severe security crises in decades.