UN Security Council Extends Haiti Gang Suppression Force by Six Months

On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the UN Security Council approved a six-month prolongation of the Gang Suppression Force's mandate in Haiti, pushing its expiration to March 31, 2027, shortly after gang violence claimed civilian lives in the Artibonite region and the town of Gros-Morne.¹³⁴

The vote

Twelve Security Council members voted in favour of the renewal, with none opposed, while China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing concerns about insufficient funding, personnel and the mission's overall effectiveness.³⁴⁵⁶

The resolution, numbered 2829, extends both the Gang Suppression Force and the UN Support Office in Haiti, which coordinates logistics for the force. The United States and Panama, as co-penholders, proposed a six-month renewal rather than the two-year extension some had sought.⁷²

Troop numbers

Around 1,500 Gang Suppression Force troops are currently deployed in Haiti, with roughly 4,000 more expected in the coming months, according to US Ambassador Mike Waltz. The force remains at less than 30 percent of its intended size; troop groups from Chad and Sri Lanka landed in the country in September, and several hundred additional personnel are anticipated in October and November. By the end of the year, the UN Support Office in Haiti expects to support nearly three times its current personnel.³⁴¹⁷

According to freemalaysiatoday.com, the force was expected to reach 5,500 personnel and 50 civilian staff between April and October, but as of July it comprised fewer than 1,000 personnel.⁶

Renewed violence

The vote followed an operation by a Sri Lankan Gang Suppression Force unit against the Kokorat San Ras gang near Gros-Morne, during which three gang members were killed while cracking down on unauthorized toll booths. After the troops withdrew, gang members targeted civilians in retaliation, killing between 11 and 12 people, according to the Haitian Times. A local mayor said the killings were "retaliation after a GSF unit killed three gang members in a push against illegal toll booths."²⁵³

The Gang Suppression Force said in a statement that "reports later indicated that gang members targeted civilians in the area, upon the departure of GSF troops," adding that it "strongly condemns these attacks and any violence against civilians." A month before the vote, a massacre in the hillside town of Kenscoff left at least 47 people dead, including five children, and around 50 people kidnapped, according to Reuters and TimesLIVE.²⁸⁵

A long-running crisis

Over past decades, seven international missions have been directed at Haiti with only modest results, and criminal factions still dominate much of the country despite these repeated interventions. Close to 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of insecurity. The Gang Suppression Force replaced the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission, which concluded in April after struggling with staffing and funding shortfalls.³⁴¹⁵

According to Al Jazeera, the UN documented 1,408 killings and more than 650 injuries linked to gang violence between April and June, and criminal groups grew more powerful following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Haiti's transitional presidential council mandate ended around the time of the vote, and the country is due to hold its first national elections in a decade on December 13, with final results expected March 7.¹⁸⁵

Official reaction

Ambassador Mike Waltz said, "Seven missions have been dedicated to Haiti over the previous decades and obviously to limited success. He said the current effort aims to be fundamentally different, explaining that its ultimate goal is for Haitians themselves to regain control over their own security and future.³²

Daniela Kroslak said the renewal "gives the GSF continuity as more personnel arrive in the coming months," adding that the office's job was to ensure the force has "what they need to undertake operations and, alongside Haitian security forces, stabilize the security situation in the country." Haiti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government "welcomes the support of all countries that continue to assist Haiti in its efforts to restore security and state authority," while the office of Alix Didier Fils-Aime called the renewal "an important step forward in continuing efforts to restore security in Haiti."⁷²⁶