Haiti’s new 'Gang Elimination Force': The UN’s last bet on peace

The move, adopted on 30 September, signals a shift from defensive support to active intervention against the armed groups that control around 90% of Port-au-Prince. Yet, amid chronic funding shortages and political paralysis, many question whether this latest effort can succeed where others have failed.

The MSS, led by Kenya, had aimed to deploy 2,500 officers but only managed to send 970, most of them Kenyan. Its planned first-year budget of 800 million US dollars barely reached 115 million. The new force promises a broader scope — 5,500 members, including both police and soldiers — and will be coordinated directly by the UN through a technical office tasked with logistics, resource mobilisation, and operations for 12 months. Unlike its predecessor, the GSF will be able to conduct independent operations, including the arrest of gang leaders.

The announcement has been met with cautious optimism across the region. Kenya hailed it as “a positive step forward,” while the Dominican Republic called it “a decisive move toward regional stability.” The Organisation of American States described the resolution as “vital for restoring peace and security.” Within Haiti, transitional president Laurent Saint-Cyr welcomed the measure as a long-awaited response to the country’s desperate security situation. But human rights groups remain sceptical. Pierre Esperance, head of Haiti’s National Network for the Defence of Human Rights, told France 24 that local authorities have “done nothing to fight the gangs” and that many Haitians view the mission as their last hope after years of terror.

Concerns also linger over potential civilian harm. During the previous mission, drone strikes intended to target gang leaders killed at least eight children in September and a total of 30 civilians since March. The UN estimates that up to half of gang members are minors, raising fears that intensified operations could worsen the humanitarian toll. “Human rights activists will be watching closely,” Esperance warned, calling for transparent rules of engagement and accountability mechanisms within the new force.

The mission’s launch comes amid a deep political crisis. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has been governed by a transitional presidential council that has failed to organise elections or restore basic governance. Over 3,000 people have been killed in gang-related violence this year alone, and 1.3 million have been displaced. With more than 5.7 million Haitians facing food insecurity, analysts say that without a parallel political and economic plan, even a UN-backed military force will struggle to bring lasting stability. “Deployment alone will not be enough,” says Romain Le Cour Grandmaison of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. “The next few months will determine Haiti’s future.”