UN Security Council approves new Gang Suppression Force for Haiti/ Breaking News

New York — The United Nations Security Council approves the transition of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti into a new Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a 5,500-member operation that will work closely with Haitian authorities to tackle armed groups.

By a vote of 12 in favor, none against, and three abstentions — China, Pakistan, and the Russian Federation — the Council adopted the resolution as UNSCR 2793 (2025). 

Among other terms, the GSF  5,500 uniformed personnel will comprise both military and police, and 50 civilians.

U.S. Ambassador Michael Waltz called the measure “a key first step” to address Haiti’s spiraling humanitarian and security crisis. 

“The adoption of this resolution offers hope to Haiti. It is a hope that quickly slipped away as terrorist gangs expanded their territory, raped, looted, and terrorized the Haitian population,” Waltz said.

“We also reiterate our call for voluntary contributions to cover the personnel costs of this mission. We wish to emphasize that any lasting solution to Haiti’s security crisis must be grounded in a strategy that addresses the root causes of insecurity and lays a clear path toward a long-term resolution.”

Panama’s representative underscored that the Haitian people “cannot wait any longer,” 

 “Today, we say to Haiti that — once and for all — you are not alone.”

A stronger force to replace the MSS

The new GSF replaces the non-UN Multinational Security Support Mission, deployed in June 2024 under Kenyan leadership, which struggled with chronic underfunding, limited manpower, and equipment losses. At least three Kenyan officers were killed during clashes in Artibonite, and gangs destroyed armored vehicles meant to secure key areas. Despite its presence, no major gang leaders were captured and large swaths of Port-au-Prince remained under gang control.

The reconfigured force will operate with permanent UN logistical and financial oversight, including support for drones, transport, and fuel management — safeguards intended to avoid the funding shortfalls that crippled the MSS, which raised less than a third of the $600 million projected for its operations.

The Haitian government threw its full support behind the resolution initially proposed by the United States and Panama. On Sept. 9, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said the initiative responds to urgent calls from Haitian authorities for a stronger, better-equipped intervention.

“I affirmed the Haitian government’s resolute support for transforming the Multinational Security Support Mission into a strategic force capable of carrying out intensive and targeted operations against armed groups that threaten our country,” Fils-Aimé said in a statement posted on X.

The prime minister stressed that restoring security is essential to rebuilding institutions, reviving the economy, and paving the way for long-overdue elections. Elections in Haiti have been postponed since 2021 amid escalating gang violence.

Escalating crisis fuels urgency

According to the UN’s latest report figures, gangs now control more than 30 municipalities nationwide, including nearly 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Over 1.3 million Haitians are displaced, schools remain shuttered, and at least 243,000 children are out of classrooms as the new academic year begins.

The resolution creates Haiti’s third major international intervention since 1994, but with a narrower mandate explicitly focused on gang suppression. It comes amid U.S. diplomatic lobbying across the hemisphere — with at least 34 countries, including CARICOM members, publicly backing the plan.

For now, the GSF’s approval signals a shift after the UN’s most powerful body has given its blessing to a more robust mission in Haiti. Whether this will deliver tangible security on the ground — and restore confidence to a population weary of broken promises — remains the next test.

While the Panama representative expressed hope that it will now be possible to reestablish the security that is needed to hold elections and create economic opportunities in Haiti, the Russian Federation representative said that the poorly conceived force, with rushed steps, will lead to undesired outcomes.

“Unfortunately, the tools of international assistance to Haiti pushed through the Council have failed to produce any sustainable results,” the representative of the Russian Federation said.  “And we have every reason to believe that this new mission — under yet another grand title — will meet the same fate.”

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