The first foreign troops from a new United Nations-backed force have arrived in Haiti in an effort to combat escalating levels of gang violence in the Caribbean country.
On Wednesday, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) announced on social media that an initial group from the African country of Chad had arrived. They were accompanied by Jack Christofides, a UN official from South Africa who is expected to helm the group’s efforts.
“Jack Christofides has arrived in Port-au-Prince as Special Representative of the Gang Suppression Force,” the statement said.
“An advance team of Chadian forces also arrived, marking the first troop deployment of the expanded GSF.”
No further details were provided about the deployment. The Gang Suppression Force is eventually expected to grow to 5,500 people, and it has an initial mandate of 12 months.
It was authorised last September during a meeting of the UN Security Council, which envisioned the force as a replacement for a Kenyan-led multinational security mission.
That mission, first deployed in 2023, has failed to bring Haiti’s gang violence under control, with officials citing a lack of funding, manpower and institutional support.
The new Gang Suppression Force was first proposed by the United States and Panama as a tool to “neutralise, isolate, and deter” Haiti’s gangs.
Unlike the smaller Kenyan-led mission, whose mandate was to support local police, the Gang Suppression Force will be empowered to make arrests in Haiti.
Twelve members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of its implementation. While no votes were cast against it, China, Russia and Pakistan abstained from the vote. The Russian representative, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the proposal at the time as “rushed” and “ill-conceived”, and he warned it could open the door for abuses.
The force’s mandate, Nebenzia argued, allows members “to use force against anyone and everyone labelled with the vague term ‘gangs’”.
Haiti has had a long and troubled history of foreign intervention. Most recently, following a deadly 2010 earthquake in Haiti, an outbreak of cholera was linked to poor sanitation practices among UN peacekeepers, killing 10,000 people.
UN personnel in Haiti also faced multiple accusations of sexual assault in the 2000s and 2010s.
Haiti has seen mushrooming levels of gang violence in recent years, particularly after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
His death left a power vacuum in Haiti. No presidential elections have been held since his 2016 victory, and Moise had indefinitely postponed legislative elections during his time in office. Haiti’s last democratically elected senators saw their terms expire in 2023.
Criminal groups have used the disarray in the government to question the legitimacy of Haiti’s leaders and expand their reach across the country.
As much as 90 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince has fallen under gang control, with approximately 26 criminal groups operating in the densely populated area.
In January, the UN estimated that at least 16,000 people had been killed since 2022, and more than 1.5 million were forced from their homes. Many lack adequate food to eat.
A more recent report (PDF) found that — from March 2025 through January 15 of this year — at least 5,519 gang-related deaths were reported and 2,608 were injured.
It noted that some victims were imprisoned and subjected to gang-led “trials”. In certain cases, victims were released with a fine. In others, they were shot dead, and their bodies lit on fire. There were also reports of sexual violence being used as punishment.
The arrival of the Gang Suppression Force comes as Haiti takes steps to hold a national election after years of delays.
The country is scheduled to hold a first round of voting in August. Roughly 300 political parties and groups have registered to take part.
Haiti is currently led by acting Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, who recently met with UN officials to discuss gang suppression efforts.
