Haiti Urges UN to Renew International Anti-Gang Mission Amid Mounting Violence

Haiti's Foreign Ministry has formally requested that the United Nations Security Council extend the mandate of the international security force tasked with combating powerful armed factions controlling regions of the country. Foreign Minister Raina Forbin emphasized during an Organisation of American States (OAS) meeting on Thursday that the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) requires full deployment and robust international backing before its authorization expires on September 30.

“We need technical, financial, logistical and safety support that is up to the challenge,” Forbin stated, urging the international community to transition from solidarity to concrete action. The appeal underscores a dire security situation, highlighted by an estimated 1,408 deaths and 656 injuries resulting from gang-related violence between April and June alone.

The ongoing crisis threatens upcoming general elections, the first scheduled in a decade and currently set for December 13. Political instability has intensified since the 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moise, allowing armed groups to seize vast areas of Port-au-Prince and displace over one million residents. Officials face significant hurdles in organizing the vote, including the production and distribution of approximately one million identity cards.

OAS Secretary-General Albert Ramdin noted that the regional organization will deploy an Electoral Observation Mission to support the process, stressing that Haiti remains at a critical crossroads. Meanwhile, international intervention efforts face complex challenges, following the departure of a previous mission led by Kenya in April. The current GSF task force, established by the UN Security Council in October 2025 with a 12-month mandate, is authorized to conduct counter-gang operations independently or alongside Haitian security forces. Concurrently, human rights concerns persist regarding the forced return of nearly 200,000 displaced individuals to Haiti during the first eight months of the year.