UN and OAS Push for Full Haiti Security Force Deployment

The United Nations Security Council has authorized the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to combat armed gangs that control 80% to 90% of Port-au-Prince. The mission, which replaced the smaller Multinational Security Support Mission in June, aims to deploy up to 5,500 soldiers and police officers to restore state authority and secure critical infrastructure. Despite nearly $1 billion in funding and logistics from the United States, the force has not yet reached its planned strength due to funding delays and logistical constraints.

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Prime Minister of Haiti, addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, describing the current situation as a "watershed moment." He urged the international community to move beyond aid toward investment partnerships and called for a renewal of the GSF mandate to ensure a secure environment for presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December. Domestically, the Haitian government is training 4,000 police officers and plans to train 15,000 additional soldiers over the next three years.

Support for the mission expanded on September 25, when 32 member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) issued a joint statement calling for the renewal of the GSF mandate. OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin emphasized that a mandate alone is insufficient without the necessary personnel, financing, and equipment. The regional effort aims to protect the population and stop the trafficking of illicit weapons while the U.S. continues to deport Haitians despite a commercial flight ban to the capital.