First troops from UN-backed Gang Suppression Force arrive in Haiti
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- The first contingent of foreign troops from Chad, part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), has arrived in Haiti to address escalating gang violence, with South African UN official Jack Christofides leading the mission.
- The GSF, authorized by the UN Security Council in September, is expected to grow to 5,500 personnel and has a 12-month mandate to actively arrest gang members, differing from the previous Kenyan-led mission which only supported local police.
- The new force was proposed by the US and Panama to "neutralize, isolate, and deter" gangs, amid criticism from Russia and others over potential human rights abuses due to the broad use-of-force mandate.
- Haiti faces severe instability following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, with gangs controlling up to 90% of Port-au-Prince and causing thousands of deaths, mass displacement, and widespread violence including sexual assault.
- The deployment coincides with Haiti preparing for national elections in August, aiming to restore political order after years of delays and governmental dysfunction.
