Haiti’s international anti-gang operation has been given a fresh six-month lifeline after the United Nations Security Council approved an extension of its mandate to March 2027, keeping the force in the country as efforts to curb armed criminal groups continue.
The resolution passed on Tuesday with 12 members voting in support, while Russia, China and Pakistan abstained. The extension will keep the Gang Suppression Force deployed until March 31, 2027.
"The entire effort is designed around the ultimate objective that Haitians themselves take back control of their own security and their own future, and this cannot and will not become an endless mission," said US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. The US co-sponsored the resolution.
The decision provides additional time for an operation that has faced difficulties in meeting its goals and has undergone changes in leadership since its creation.
The mission was first authorised in 2023 under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) framework, with Kenya taking the lead. It marked a major overseas security deployment for Nairobi and placed Kenyan police officers at the centre of international efforts to confront Haiti’s heavily armed gangs.
President William Ruto presented Kenya’s involvement as part of the country’s wider role in promoting peace and security beyond its borders. He also described the deployment as evidence of Kenya’s readiness to take on a larger role in international affairs and support its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Kenyan officers were the first to arrive on the ground, making Kenya a key player in the operation. Their deployment, however, generated debate both internationally and at home.
Questions were raised over the preparedness of the Kenyan police, human rights concerns and whether the officers had the capacity to confront well-armed gangs operating across parts of Haiti.
The mission also faced criticism in Kenya, where some people questioned the decision to deploy police officers abroad while the country continued to deal with security concerns of its own. Kenyan officers suffered casualties during the operation, while progress against the gangs remained slow.
Despite the difficulties, Kenya’s leadership of the mission raised Nairobi’s international profile and gave it a greater role in discussions on security in the Western Hemisphere.
The United States designated Kenya a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2024, adding another layer to the growing security relationship between the two countries.
The direction of the Haiti operation later changed after Donald Trump returned to the White House. The new US administration became more doubtful of the Kenya-led approach that had been supported by the Biden administration.
Washington also showed a preference for security arrangements based more directly on US interests rather than broader multilateral operations.
The increased role of Chad in the Haiti mission marked part of that shift, as leadership moved away from the model initially built around Kenya.
The latest UN decision now keeps the force in place for another six months, with the wider objective remaining the restoration of security and the eventual return of responsibility to Haitian authorities.
The extension comes as the international community continues to grapple with Haiti’s long-running security crisis and the challenge of helping the country regain control from powerful criminal groups.