As Haiti’s security and humanitarian challenges continue, the country faces the difficult task of reducing violence while rebuilding public trust in state institutions. Armed groups have expanded presence in large portions of the capital, Port-au-Prince, contributing to large-scale displacement and disruptions to daily life, supply routes, and access to food, healthcare, and other essential services.
In this environment, efforts to restore security extend beyond confronting gangs. They also involve strengthening the state’s ability to protect civilians, maintain access to essential services, and support conditions that allow communities to recover and return to greater stability.
Against this backdrop, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), supported by the United States and international partners, represents a more coordinated approach aimed not only at reducing violence but also at strengthening institutional credibility over time.
Authorized by the United Nations Security Council in late 2025, the GSF builds on the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS), bringing together up to 5,500 personnel from multiple regions, supported by a civilian component and U.N. logistical backing, reflecting a more integrated approach to security and institutional support.
Several countries from Latin America and the Caribbean continue to play a role in the multinational effort. Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize previously contributed personnel under the MSS mission, experience that now helps inform the transition to the GSF. Regional partners including the Bahamas, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Jamaica also participate in the mission’s coordination structure alongside international counterparts, reflecting broader hemispheric cooperation in addressing shared security challenges.
A multidimensional approach to rebuilding trust
One of the mission’s notable features is the integration of civilian expertise alongside security operations. While limited in size, this civilian component is intended to support oversight, coordination, and engagement with institutions and communities.
This reflects a broader recognition that restoring security in Haiti cannot rely solely on force. Efforts to stabilize the country must also address institutional capacity, accountability, and public confidence in state authorities.
To that end the U.N. has established reporting and oversight mechanisms requiring regular updates on the mission’s progress. These measures are designed to strengthen transparency and allow for adjustments over time.
At the same time, outreach initiatives — such as training for journalists on reporting in conflict environments and support for vulnerable populations affected by gang violence — aim to strengthen links between the mission and civil society.
“Working with diverse partners is positive, and looking ahead, it will be by observing concrete signs from society and its return to normalcy — for example, with the continued reopening of schools — that the impact of this strategy’s success will be measured,” Washington-based security expert Scott Morgan told Diálogo.
A shift in operational approach
The GSF also represents a shift in operational posture. Whereas the MSS relied primarily on police units, the new mission incorporates a stronger military component, which allows for more robust operations in areas where armed groups maintain significant control.
“It’s a significant change because it alters the rules of engagement. The military option operates on the ground in a more forceful manner, allowing, for example, gangs to be expelled from neighborhoods even through the use of force, if necessary,” Morgan said.
At a press conference prior to the resolution’s approval, Henry Wooster, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, described the new mandate as “stronger, more forceful” and with “freedom of maneuver to pursue these gangs, to take the fight directly into their territory.”
Among the key developments is the deployment of troops from Chad, whose military has gained a stronger reputation in recent years for operating in complex and high-risk environments. “The Chadian Army’s reputation in peacekeeping operations has improved considerably in recent years. In Mali, they proved effective operating in difficult terrain. This is an advantage that the Kenyan police in Haiti did not have,” Morgan said.
These capabilities may prove particularly relevant as violence has spread beyond Port-au-Prince into departments such as Artibonite and the Centre, where armed groups — including gangs such as Gran Grif and the Viv Ansanm coalition — have consolidated control over key access routes and local resources.
Recent data illustrates the scale of the challenge. In 2025 alone, more than 5,900 people were killed in Haiti, compared to more than 5,600 in 2024. In parts of Port-au-Prince, homicide rates remain among the highest in the world.
Beyond security
The impact of the GSF will be increasingly measured through its contribution to restoring state presence in areas long affected by gang control. This includes improving access to key roads and supply routes, enabling the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and creating conditions for the reopening of schools, markets, and essential services.
As operations expand and coordination improves, the presence of more coordinated and sustained security forces is helping reestablish a sense of order and predictability in affected communities — a critical step in rebuilding public confidence in state institutions. In a context where armed groups have relied on coercion and where state presence has been constrained, the sustained presence of professional and accountable security forces is essential to restoring normalcy and reinforcing public trust.
