UN Security Council extends Haiti Gang Suppression Force mandate to March 2027
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The UN Security Council voted Tuesday to extend the Gang Suppression Force mandate in Haiti until March 31, 2027. China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing doubts about the mission's effectiveness. The force operates at about 30 percent of its intended size, with 1,500 troops deployed and 4,000 more expected.
Key Facts
- The UN Security Council extended the Gang Suppression Force mandate until March 31, 2027.
- China, Russia and Pakistan abstained from the vote, citing concerns over the measure's effectiveness.
- About 1,500 GSF troops are currently operating in Haiti, with the remaining 4,000 expected to arrive in the coming months.
- The current task force is operating at about 30 percent of its intended size.
- Haiti's government first asked the international community to send security forces in 2022 and has insisted that further help is necessary if the country is to hold nationwide elections.
The Vote
The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday to extend the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) until March 31, 2027. China, Russia and Pakistan abstained from the vote, citing concerns over the measure's effectiveness. Mike Waltz, the United States ambassador to the UN who co-sponsored the resolution, said the GSF has the ability to coordinate with Haiti's military or act independently. Waltz said that about 1,500 GSF troops are currently operating in Haiti, with the remaining 4,000 expected to arrive in the coming months.
Force Strength
The current task force is operating at about 30 percent of its intended size. It follows a Kenyan-led police deployment, known as the Multinational Security Support Mission, that was authorised to support Haiti's National Police. After staffing and funding shortfalls, the mission concluded in April, with resources transitioning to the GSF. Haiti's government first asked the international community to send security forces in 2022 and has insisted that further help is necessary if the country is to hold nationwide elections.
Election Delays
It has been almost a decade since Haiti held national elections, with the last democratically elected senators seeing their terms expire in 2023. A transitional presidential council was formed in 2024, only to see its mandate end before elections could be held. National elections have been repeatedly delayed, with the next round tentatively set for December. Criminal groups have become more powerful in Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, which created a leadership vacuum in the country.
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