The UN Security Council has endorsed a resolution to transform the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti into the Gaza Security Force (GSF). The decision was announced on the UN website.
The resolution was co-authored by Panama and the United States and received support from dozens of countries within and beyond the region. It was adopted with 12 votes in favor and three abstentions: China, Pakistan, and Russia.
The GSF will replace the MSS amid escalating gang violence, widespread human rights abuses, and a severe humanitarian crisis in the Caribbean nation. The MSS, authorized by the UN in 2023, has faced challenges related to underfunding, insufficient personnel, and limited operational capabilities.
The GSF, with a strength of 5,550 personnel, will be mandated to operate for 12 months. It will collaborate with the Haitian National Police and the country's armed forces.
The security situation was highlighted in April when two Kenyan police officers serving in the MSS were seriously injured in clashes with gangs. The officers were wounded during patrols in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and its outskirts, where armed gangs control large swathes of territory.
Haiti has been grappling with a severe security crisis following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 and a devastating earthquake. Criminal gangs now control significant parts of the country, including up to 80% of the capital.
Anna Bespalova
