The United Nations Security Council authorized a new multinational Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, replacing the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission with a larger body that can include both police and military personnel. The resolution passed with 12 votes in favour and abstentions from China, Pakistan and Russia.
The new force is authorized for up to 5,550 uniformed personnel under an initial 12-month mandate. Working alongside the Haitian National Police and armed forces, it is expected to conduct intelligence-led operations against gangs, secure critical infrastructure and support access for humanitarian assistance. Its mandate also covers protection of vulnerable groups, reintegration support for former fighters and efforts to strengthen Haitian institutions.
The Council's decision reflected concern that the previous mission lacked the personnel, funding and operational capacity needed for the scale of Haiti's security crisis. About 1,000 officers, most from Kenya, had deployed under that framework. Although the mission helped Haitian police regain access to some areas and infrastructure, gangs continued to control large parts of Port-au-Prince. Kenya backed the replacement mechanism.
A separate UN Support Office in Haiti is to provide logistics and operational assistance to the new force, Haitian police and the country's armed forces. Its responsibilities include rations, medical support, transportation, communications and troop rotations. It will also assist an Organization of American States initiative and help ensure compliance with international human-rights standards.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Panama and the United States. US Ambassador Mike Waltz said the expanded scale and mandate were intended to correct weaknesses in the earlier mission. Panama's Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba framed the vote as an urgent response to a multidimensional crisis. Haitian representatives supported a stronger force, while emphasizing the severity and sophistication of the armed groups confronting national authorities.
The decision did not attract unanimous support. China and Russia, which had also abstained when the earlier mission was created in 2023, questioned funding, political strategy and aspects of the mandate. Russia's UN ambassador raised concerns about ambiguous rules and how authorization to use necessary measures could be interpreted.
Haiti faced nearly 1.3 million internally displaced people, increasing kidnappings and widespread sexual violence, according to the UN account. The Council stressed that Haiti's government retains primary responsibility for national security and governance reform, including addressing corruption, illegal weapons flows and child recruitment by gangs. The new force is therefore structured as support for Haitian institutions, not a transfer of their ultimate responsibility. Its authorization established a larger operational framework, while actual results would depend on personnel, resources, logistics and implementation.
