UN Security Council Extends Haiti Gang Suppression Force Mandate by Six Months

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the international security force fighting Haiti’s powerful armed gangs by six months, just hours after gang members killed at least 11 people and burned homes in the country’s central breadbasket region.

Twelve council members voted in favour of renewing the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with none opposed and three abstentions — China, Russia and Pakistan, whose representatives raised concerns over funding, personnel and effectiveness, according to Reuters. The extension is meant to provide security ahead of Haiti’s first general election in a decade, expected in December.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, who co-sponsored the resolution, said around 1,500 GSF troops are currently deployed in Haiti and a further 4,000 are expected in the coming months. “Seven missions have been dedicated to Haiti over the previous decades and obviously to limited success,” he said. “We’re trying to do something genuinely different.”

The vote came hours after retaliatory killings in the Artibonite region, where gang members attacked residents after a Sri Lankan GSF unit killed three gang members during an operation against illegal toll booths, a local mayor told Reuters. The force is currently operating at less than 30% of its intended strength.

The GSF replaced the Kenya-led multinational mission, whose troops withdrew earlier this year after it struggled with limited voluntary contributions.

Sources

• Reuters: UN renews Haiti force mandate for six months after fresh gang killings →
• Reuters: Haiti gang retaliation leaves at least 11 dead after security operation →
• AFP (via The Peninsula Times): UN Security Council extends Haiti mission by 6 months →