UN Security Council to Vote on the Future of Haiti’s Foreign Force

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote on Tuesday on whether to expand the current UN-backed security mission in gang-ravaged Haiti into a full-fledged armed force.

Currently, the Multinational Security Mission (MSS) deploys just 1,000 police officers, mostly from Kenya, to support the overwhelmed Haitian National Police in tackling rampant gang violence. The MSS, approved in 2023, has so far delivered mixed results.

Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council, addressed the UNSC last week, describing Haiti’s crisis: “Every day, innocent lives are snuffed out by bullets, fire and fear. Entire neighbourhoods are disappearing, forcing more than a million people into internal exile and reducing to nothing memories, investments, and infrastructure. This is the face of Haiti today, a country at war, a contemporary Guernica, a human tragedy on America’s doorstep — just a four-hour flight from here.”

Saint-Cyr expressed support for a US–Panamanian proposal to strengthen the MSS into a more resilient force for an initial one-year mandate, which could include up to 5,500 uniformed personnel, encompassing both police officers and military troops, compared with the MSS’s current law enforcement-only composition.

International Support and Logistics

The proposed expansion also includes a support office within the UN to ensure sufficient logistical and financial resources are available for operations.

Mandate and Objectives

The expanded force would be empowered to directly target gangs, restore law and order, and support Haitian authorities. Landau emphasised: “This mandate would empower the force to proactively target gangs and restore security to Haiti while ensuring it has the appropriate tools to succeed in the mission’s anticipated objectives.”

However, diplomatic challenges remain. Some UNSC members, despite majority support, may attempt to delay or block the resolution. China has voiced concerns over deploying forces without a clear political transition in Haiti. Russia, which also holds veto power, remains noncommittal.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, has long been plagued by violent criminal gangs engaging in murder, rape, looting, and kidnapping, compounded by chronic political instability.

The security situation has worsened dramatically, leaving the Haitian population vulnerable to daily violence, mass displacement, and destruction of infrastructure. The international community views the Security Council vote as crucial to restoring order and preventing further humanitarian disaster.