Kenya-led mission leaves Haiti, as new Gang Suppression Force arrives 

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A group of 215 Kenyan police officers left Haiti this week, part of a broader withdrawal under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission as it transitions to a new United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF). Troops from participating countries, such as the Bahamas, also began leaving.

The Kenyan-led mission, deployed in June 2024 to support the Haitian National Police (PNH) in combating armed gangs, is being phased out through April 15.

The officers departed from Port-au-Prince March 17 and arrived in Nairobi later that night, aboard a Kenya Airways flight, accompanied by senior police officials, according to local media reports. Their departure follows an earlier withdrawal of more than 100 officers in December 2025.

“Yes, I confirm that Kenya is reducing the number of its troops in order to prepare for the arrival of a larger contingent of GSF personnel,” said Jack Mbaka, communications officer for the multinational mission. “This process aims to ensure a smooth transition.”

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the country had fulfilled its role under the mandate.

“Our participation was guided by human solidarity,” Mudavadi said. “Kenya has completed its mandate following United Nations Security Council Resolution 2793 [2025], which transferred the MSS mission to the GSF.”

Transition to a new force

The GSF, a multinational operation approved by the UN Security Council in October, is expected to arrive in Haiti in early April with a broader mandate to directly target armed groups.

Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez told Reuters that troops from Chad are currently training in the United States and will begin replacing Kenyan officers as part of the transition, which is expected to continue through October 2026.

The new force is projected to include about 5,500 personnel and will receive logistical and operational support from a U.N. office in Port-au-Prince, including weapons, equipment and funding through a trust fund supported by member states.

Despite those plans, questions remain about leadership and the role of Kenyan personnel in the new structure. The mission’s communications office did not respond to requests for clarification.

The MSS mission, initially expected to deploy 2,500 personnel, never reached that goal, with fewer than 1,000 officers—mostly Kenyan—on the ground. Its estimated $600 million annual budget was also never fully secured.

Members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force also began returning home, with a contingent departing Haiti on March 13.

Commander Julian Smith, chargé d’affaires of The Bahamas in Haiti, said his country would continue supporting Haiti through diplomacy and training for local security forces.

Haiti’s exclusion criticized, violence persists amid transition

The transition has drawn criticism after a recent meeting between U.S. and Dominican officials on Haiti’s security future excluded Haitian representatives.

Reginald Dumé, head of the sociopolitical group Petro-Challenger, said the omission reflects deeper concerns about national sovereignty.

“This situation reveals a deeper crisis related to the country’s sovereignty,” Dumé told The Haitian Times. “Haiti no longer has full capacity to make its own decisions.”

Critics say the absence of Haitian authorities from key discussions undermines the legitimacy of international interventions in the country.

As the MSS mission winds down and the GSF prepares to take over, many Haitians say they have yet to see meaningful improvements in security on the ground.

More than 11,000 people were killed between early 2024 and the end of 2025 in gang-related violence, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Over 1.4 million people have been displaced, about half of them children.

Armed groups control more than 85% of Port-au-Prince, crippling economic activity, while more than 5.7 million people face severe food insecurity.

Meanwhile, Haitian police continue operations against gangs, including ongoing clashes with the Viv Ansanm coalition in downtown Port-au-Prince since March 16. The violence has left civilians dead, including two schoolchildren and their father, and has unfolded alongside kidnappings of journalists.

The post Kenya-led mission leaves Haiti, as new Gang Suppression Force arrives  appeared first on The Haitian Times.