On October 1, 2025, the United Nations Security Council made a landmark decision to approve a much larger international force for Haiti, aiming to address the spiraling gang violence that has gripped the Caribbean nation for years. The new Gang Suppression Force (GSF), as it's called, will consist of up to 5,550 police officers and soldiers, a dramatic increase from the less than 1,000 currently on the ground. This expansion replaces the previous law enforcement-only mission, which had fallen short of expectations and struggled to contain the violence since its deployment in 2023.
The scale of the crisis in Haiti is staggering. According to BBC, more than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in 2024 alone. Armed gangs now control about 85% of Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital. The violence and instability have forced nearly 1.3 million Haitians from their homes, creating a massive internal displacement crisis. The situation has been described by Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council, as "a country at war, a contemporary Guernica, a human tragedy on America's doorstep."
The new GSF is intended to boost the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission (MSS), which was originally meant to field up to 2,500 members. However, the MSS never reached that number, and its current contingent—primarily about 1,000 police officers from Kenya—has had only mixed results in stemming the tide of violence. The gangs have continued to expand their territory, committing a litany of human rights abuses including child exploitation, murder, trafficking, rapes, looting, and kidnappings, as reported by FRANCE 24.
The Security Council’s resolution, which was proposed by the United States and co-sponsored by Panama, passed with a strong majority. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz emphasized the significance of the move, stating, "Today's vote sets that right with this vote to transform the MSS mission to the new Gang Suppression Force, a mission five times the size of its predecessor and with a strengthened mandate to go after the gangs." Waltz also noted that the international community is now sharing the burden, highlighting the importance of collective action in the face of such overwhelming challenges.
Despite the clear urgency, several questions remain unanswered. It’s not immediately clear when the new GSF will be deployed, or which countries will contribute the additional personnel needed to reach its full strength. The Security Council’s resolution does, however, include the establishment of a UN support office in Haiti, which is expected to provide crucial logistical and operational support to the incoming force. This office, recommended months earlier by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is designed to ensure that the enlarged mission has the resources and infrastructure it needs to succeed.
Haiti’s current predicament is rooted in years of political and economic turmoil. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the country has been trapped in a cycle of economic chaos, a political vacuum, and increasingly violent gang warfare. The situation deteriorated further in early 2024 when gangs forced then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign, leaving the country without an elected government. Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and is now overseen by a Transitional Presidential Council.
Laurent Saint-Cyr, addressing the UN’s diplomatic gathering last week, painted a vivid picture of the devastation: "Entire neighborhoods are disappearing, forcing more than a million people into internal exile and reducing to nothing memories, investments, and infrastructure." His remarks underscore the depth of the humanitarian crisis, as families are uprooted and communities shattered by relentless violence.
Panama’s ambassador to the UN, Eloy Alfaro de Alba, spoke in favor of the resolution, saying, "The Council can help restore peace in a nation currently suffocated by merciless gangs." Kenya’s president, William Ruto, also expressed optimism, stating that "with the right personnel, adequate resources, appropriate equipment and necessary logistics, Haiti's security can be restored." These statements reflect a sense of cautious hope that the new, much larger force—backed by a comprehensive support structure—could finally turn the tide.
The GSF’s mandate goes beyond mere presence. As US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau explained, "This mandate would empower the force to proactively target gangs and restore security to Haiti while ensuring it has the appropriate tools to succeed the mission's anticipated objectives." The force is expected to work closely with Haitian authorities to provide security and support humanitarian access, which has been severely limited by the ongoing violence.
However, not all members of the Security Council were fully on board. China and Russia both abstained from the vote, expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of such a mission in the absence of a clear political transition in Haiti. Their abstentions echo concerns raised during the creation of the MSS in 2023, when both countries also withheld their support. This lack of unanimity highlights the complexities of international intervention in Haiti, where deep-rooted political and social issues intersect with acute security challenges.
For many Haitians, the Security Council’s decision represents a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape. Haiti’s UN representative, Ericq Pierre, described the move as "a decisive turning point in my country's fight against one of the most serious challenges in its already turbulent history." The creation of the GSF and the accompanying support office signal a renewed commitment from the international community to address both the immediate security crisis and the longer-term needs of Haiti’s battered society.
Still, the road ahead is uncertain. The success of the GSF will depend not only on its size and mandate but also on the willingness of member states to provide the necessary personnel, equipment, and funding. The force must also navigate the complex realities on the ground, where gangs have entrenched themselves in local communities and where trust in international interventions is often fragile.
As Haiti braces for the arrival of the new Gang Suppression Force, the world watches closely. The stakes could hardly be higher, with the lives of millions hanging in the balance and the future of a nation at a crossroads. Whether this larger, more robust mission can finally bring peace and stability to Haiti remains to be seen—but for now, it offers a desperately needed chance at hope.