The United States, in a decisive move on August 28, 2025, announced its intention to seek United Nations authorization for a new and more forceful international mission to combat the spiraling gang violence in Haiti. The proposal, revealed by Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea at a U.N. Security Council meeting, calls for transforming the existing Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission into a rebranded, more autonomous 'Gang Suppression Force,' with a broader mandate and increased resources.
According to the Miami Herald, the U.S. and Panama began circulating a draft resolution on Thursday that would not only rebrand the mission but also dramatically expand its scope. The new force would be authorized to act independently of the Haitian National Police, a significant departure from the current arrangement, and would have a cap of 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilians—more than doubling the original MSS mission's size.
The urgency behind this shift is impossible to miss. Armed gangs have been expanding their reach beyond Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, into the countryside, unleashing brutal violence that has led to thousands of deaths and the internal displacement of 1.3 million people—half of them children, as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted in his address to the Security Council. "The humanitarian toll is staggering: 1.3 million people – half of them children – have fled their homes. Six million people need humanitarian assistance," Guterres warned, according to the Associated Press. He called the situation "a life-and-death emergency" and noted that the U.N.'s $908 million appeal to aid 3.9 million Haitians this year is less than 10% funded, making it the least funded humanitarian appeal globally.
The Kenya-led mission, which began deploying in June 2024, had originally been envisioned as a 2,500-strong force. In reality, it has struggled to reach even 1,000 personnel, with Kenya contributing about 700 police officers. Tragically, two Kenyan officers were killed in armed ambushes this year, a stark reminder of the dangers the force faces. Despite these efforts, the mission’s "modest resources and resultant capacities have not been able to keep pace with the dramatic expansion of the threat posed by gangs," as the draft resolution notes. The force’s inability to act independently of the Haitian police—whose own leadership has been beset by internal divisions and political tensions—has further hampered its effectiveness.
The new Gang Suppression Force, if authorized, would be empowered to conduct "independent, intelligence-led targeted counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate and deter gangs that continue to threaten the civilian population and undermine Haitian institutions," according to the draft obtained by the Miami Herald. This marks a significant shift from the MSS mission, which was limited to supporting and mentoring the Haitian police, often with limited cooperation or actionable intelligence.
To ensure that the new mission is not hamstrung by the same logistical and operational challenges, the U.S. and Panama are also proposing the creation of a U.N. Support Office in Haiti. First suggested by Secretary-General Guterres in February 2025, this office would provide drones, fuel, ground and air transportation, and other non-lethal support. While troops’ salaries would continue to be paid from voluntary contributions, the Support Office would be funded by U.N. members’ assessed contributions—a move designed to guarantee more predictable and sustainable backing for the mission.
Shea made it clear that the United States and its partners are seeking "meaningful burden sharing" from the international community. "We urge Council members: join us – join us in responding to the call from the Haitian government, as we forge a new path towards peace and security, and establish the U.N. Support Office to properly, and sustainably, resource this effort," she said. Shea also thanked Kenya and other contributors—including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guatemala, and El Salvador—for their leadership and sacrifices to date.
In a further bid to strengthen the mission’s oversight and strategic direction, a 'Standing Group of Partners' has been formed, comprising seven countries: the United States, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Kenya. This group will be responsible for high-level strategic guidance, oversight, and political decision-making for the revamped force. It will also work to secure voluntary financial contributions for costs not covered by the U.N. Support Office and coordinate the appointment of a special representative in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s embattled capital.
The Haitian government, for its part, sent a letter to Secretary-General Guterres on August 27, 2025, outlining its commitment—and that of its international partners—to play a strategic role in the new mission. The resolution also endorses the Organization of American States’ Secure-Haiti project as a potential funding source for direct support. However, the resolution is notably silent on the role of Haiti’s police task force, which has been using weaponized drones and mercenaries against gangs, and on the country’s nascent army.
Despite the bold new vision, several experts and observers have raised questions about the plan’s feasibility. Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, head of Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, told the Miami Herald that while the proposal incorporates many of Guterres’ recommendations, “there is much missing for this resolution to be commensurate with the crisis.” He pointed out the lack of mention of sanctions or efforts to target the political and economic networks that support gang activity, as well as the absence of clear coordination with Haitian authorities. "Let’s assume that the resolution passes, which is far from certain: How can consensus be reached within the Security Council on its duration? How can a real operational mandate be built? Who will fund it? Who will provide technical or human support? What will happen with Kenya?" he asked.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Haiti, the suffering continues. On August 26, 2025, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, leader of the powerful “Viv Ansanm” gang coalition, announced that some of the 1.3 million internally displaced could return to their neighborhoods. But as reported by the Miami Herald, those who ventured back found only devastation: looted and bullet-riddled homes, churches stripped of their roofs and windows, and debris-strewn streets in the Delmas neighborhood.
Guterres, in his address to the Security Council, pleaded for urgent action. "I urge the council to act without delay and authorize an international force, supported by the United Nations through logistical and operational backing, and predictable financing," he said. Without such support, he warned, 1.7 million Haitians risk receiving no assistance at all.
As the U.N. prepares to debate and potentially vote on the new resolution in the coming days, the stakes could not be higher—for Haiti, for the international community, and for the credibility of multilateral peace operations in a world where crises seem only to multiply. The world will be watching to see if this new Gang Suppression Force can finally turn the tide in Haiti’s long and painful struggle against gang violence and instability.