Haitian government calls for renewal of international anti-gang task force

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA mourner at a funeral service holds a picture of a person killed in an armed gang attack on August 23, in Kenscoff, Haiti, September 2, 2026 [Patrice Noel/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 4 Sep 20264 Sep 2026Haiti’s Foreign Ministry has called on the United Nations Security Council to renew the mandate of an internationally backed security force meant to tamp down the powerful armed groups controlling parts of the country.On Thursday, Foreign Minister Raina Forbin reiterated her view that the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) needed to be fully deployed to her country, with support from the international community.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Haitian gangs release 13 captives after mass kidnapping in Kenscofflist 2 of 3Haiti police confront public frustration after deadly gang attack kills 47list 3 of 3Violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 peopleend of listIts mandate, however, is slated to expire on September 30, unless the UNSC acts to extend its mission.“We need technical, financial, logistical and safety support that is up to the challenge,” said Forbin. “We must now move from solidarity to action.”Her remarks came at a meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS), focused on the continued gang violence in Haiti.Forbin gestured to a pressing need in her country. This year alone, in the three months from April to June, an estimated 1,408 people were killed in Haiti, with 656 injured. Much of that violence was attributed to gangs.Haiti is also pushing ahead with long-postponed general elections. Critics, however, fear that the violence could disrupt the elections and weaken public confidence in the outcome.Political instability in Haiti has been heightened since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Armed groups have flourished in the vacuum, assuming control over large swaths of the capital of Port-au-Prince and displacing more than one million people. Authorities have struggled to address either the out-of-control violence or the deeper causes of instability in the country, including poverty and government corruption.The upcoming elections, the first in a decade, are currently scheduled to take place on December 13. But officials have questioned whether they will take place, given conditions on the ground.OAS Secretary-General Albert Ramdin said that the regional body would deploy an Electoral Observation Mission to help support a credible vote, urging greater assistance for Haiti’s provisional electoral council.He added that about one million identity cards must also be produced and distributed before voting can take place.“Haiti is at a critical juncture,” Ramdin said in a statement on Thursday. “Our responsibility is clear: to strengthen security efforts, advance electoral preparations, fulfill existing commitments and ensure that international cooperation translates into tangible improvements in the daily lives of the Haitian people.” But international assistance efforts have also drawn criticism, with many Haitians sceptical of outside interference in their country.Officials within such international forces have also bemoaned a lack of steady support. Before the GSF, Kenya had led a Multinational Security Support (MSS) to support Haitian police, only to withdraw in April, after failing to meet its funding and deployment goals.The UN Security Council voted to create the GSF task force in October 2025 as a replacement for the MSS. The mission was given a 12-month mandate.The GSF is authorised to pursue “counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter gangs”, either independently or in cooperation with Haitian police and its military.Human rights advocates, however, note that such international support has been lacking for Haitians fleeing the violence.Many Haitians have been forcibly returned to the country after fleeing for safety. A UN official informed an emergency meeting of the UNSC last week that nearly 200,000 people have been sent back to Haiti during the first eight months of this year.That amounts to a 20,000 increase over the same period last year.