The international community is once again stepping up its efforts for Haiti. On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council officially sanctioned a significantly expanded security force. This global contingent of police and soldiers is designed to directly combat the pervasive gang violence, aiming to put an end to the brutal cycle of killings, rapes, and kidnappings plaguing the nation.
This ambitious initiative, championed by the United States and Panama, envisions deploying up to 5,500 soldiers and police officers. Described by officials as a “gang-suppression force,” it will wield enhanced authority to take decisive, aggressive action against the criminal networks that have held Haiti in a grip of terror for far too long.
However, a crucial question looms: which nations are ready to commit their personnel to this vital mission, and who will shoulder the significant financial burden required to sustain it?
This pivotal vote occurred just days before the existing UN mandate for Haiti’s Multinational Security Support mission was set to expire. That mission, primarily staffed by Kenyan police and intended to bolster Haitian law enforcement, had fewer than 1,000 officers. Unfortunately, it consistently suffered from insufficient staffing and funding, proving unable to curb the escalating violence.
A powerful image from 2004 shows United Nations peacekeepers from Argentina actively working to clear armed gang members from the streets of Gonaïves, Haiti, a stark reminder of past international efforts.
The newly approved deployment, which will integrate the existing Kenyan contingent, marks a dramatic shift. It is projected to be five times larger than its predecessor and, critically, will have the authority to launch independent offensive operations directly against the gangs, according to official statements.
Bill O’Neill, the UN’s human rights expert for Haiti, noted that the previous Kenyan forces were constrained, often unable to take independent initiative or conduct their own operations while assisting Haitian police.
“This new force will operate autonomously, initiating its own operations,” O’Neill explained in August. “While it will continue to support the Haitian National Police, its actions won’t be tethered to their operational limitations.”
This latest authorization for a robust security presence comes roughly eight years after the withdrawal of a much larger UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, known as MINUSTAH.
Between 2004 and 2017, the UN maintained a significant military presence in Haiti, with up to 10,000 personnel. However, this period was marred by severe controversies, including accusations of sexual exploitation of women, child abuse, and tragically, the introduction of cholera, which claimed over 10,000 lives.
Crucially, the structure of this new force will be distinct. While the United Nations will oversee its management, it will not directly command the troops. This means it won’t be classified as a traditional UN peacekeeping operation.
Henry Wooster, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, emphasized that the new force’s mandate would be “more muscular.”
“This grants greater freedom of maneuver and action,” he explained to reporters, suggesting that the very name of the force should convey its assertive nature.
Experts and officials estimate that thousands of gang members are currently operating within Haiti, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
Haitian officials have voiced their support for this critical intervention.
“Past approaches that yielded no fruit won’t save Haiti today,” Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of Haiti’s presidential council, stated at the UN General Assembly last week. “It is absolutely vital to heed the voice of the Haitian people.”
Despite objections from China and Russia, neither nation vetoed the Security Council’s resolution, choosing instead to abstain. China criticized the United States, accusing it of treating the Council as a “rubber stamp” by not adequately addressing crucial questions about the new force’s funding and the origin of its personnel.
The success of this force hinges on voluntary contributions, a model that proved challenging for the previous Kenyan-led mission, as few countries beyond the United States were willing to provide either troops or financial aid.
Haiti has been plunged into a deepening humanitarian and security crisis since the 2021 assassination of its last elected president, Jovenel Moïse. The situation drastically worsened in February 2024, when rival gangs formed an unprecedented alliance, launching a coordinated offensive against the government, police, and civilian communities.
The UN reports that at least 4,000 people have tragically lost their lives to this violence since January. David C. Adams also contributed to this report.