UN extends mandate of international force against gangs in Haiti until 2027

The United Nations Security Council decided on Tuesday to extend by six months the mandate of the international force deployed in Haiti, aimed at confronting the criminal gangs devastating the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The decision also highlights the protection of children involved in criminal organizations and the need for Haiti to hold elections for the first time since 2016.

The resolution, proposed by the United States and Panama, was approved with 12 votes in favor and three abstentions from China, Russia and Pakistan. It extends the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force (CGF), established to help address the country’s security crisis, until March 31, 2027.

According to the document, improved security is a prerequisite for holding “free” and “fair” elections. The Security Council also reaffirmed its support for the efforts of Haiti’s transitional authorities.

The resolution also points to the structural causes of instability, including corruption, weak institutions and the illegal arms trade, which fuels gang violence.

Council members expressed concern over the growing number of children joining criminal groups. Acknowledging that many of them have been recruited or used against their will, the document calls for programs focused on disarmament, disengagement from criminal structures, social reintegration and psychological support.

The new force, known as the ISF, succeeded the Multinational Security Support Force (MSSF), led by Kenya. The latter was assessed as having made limited progress due to a lack of equipment and funding.

The ISF includes troops from El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mongolia, Chad and Sri Lanka, while additional forces are expected to be deployed in the future.

The initial plan called for the force to increase its personnel from April through October, reaching 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilian employees.

The Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighboring country, recently expressed concern over the force’s slow progress and development.

During the Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said that only “1,500 troops” had so far been deployed on the ground, while “another 4,000” are expected to arrive in Haiti “in the coming months.”

Nevertheless, Waltz said the force had already “begun to deliver results.”

“It is reopening roads and ensuring the security of neighborhoods. It is retaking control of areas that were essentially off-limits to the Haitian national police. It is dismantling checkpoints and extortion points that were a source of income for the gangs and encouraging their activities,” he said.

Haiti’s transitional government welcomed the Security Council’s decision, saying it demonstrated “significant progress in continuing efforts to restore security in Haiti.” The statement was published by the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Hémé.

A day earlier, ISF members were attacked by armed men while patrolling in the Gros-Morne area, in the Artibonite department in the northwest of the country.

According to the statement, the forces responded to the attack and killed three armed men, while the rest fled. No force members were injured. The soldiers remained in the area for several hours before returning to their base in Gonaives.

The force also announced that, after its troops left, bandits attacked civilians in Artibonite.

Sources in the region said that at least 11 civilians were killed.

Haiti continues to face a deep political, economic and security crisis. The situation has deteriorated significantly in recent years as gangs have intensified killings, kidnappings for ransom, rape and the recruitment of children.