The United States and Panama have urged the United Nations Security Council to authorize the creation of a new multinational force of 5,550 personnel with powers to arrest gang members in Haiti, in an effort to stem spiraling violence in the country.
According to a draft resolution obtained by the Associated Press on Wednesday, the proposal calls for transforming the Kenyan-led multinational mission already deployed in Haiti into a much larger and more robust force.
Kenyan troops first arrived in June 2024 as part of an initial 2,500-strong mission, but the deployment has suffered from funding shortages, leaving fewer than 1,000 troops currently on the ground.
Gang violence in Haiti has escalated dramatically since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Armed groups now control 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have extended their activities, including looting, kidnappings, sexual assaults and rapes, into rural regions. The country has been left without a president since Moïse’s killing.
The six-page draft resolution acknowledges Kenya’s leadership role but stresses UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ February assessment that the current mission has been unable to match the rapid expansion of gang control and urgently requires reinforcement.
If adopted, the resolution would mandate UN member states, in cooperation with Haiti’s government, to transition the existing mission into a larger force for an initial 12-month period.
The new force would include 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilian staff, funded through voluntary contributions, though it does not specify whether Kenya or other nations will supply the troops or police officers.
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