The violence in Haiti will not stop. According to the UN human-rights office, more than 11,000 people were killed in gang-related violence between early 2024 and the end of 2025. Most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is under gang control, and the state has all but collapsed.
The Kenyan withdrawal
The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, deployed to restore order, withdrew its last contingent on March 17, 2026, shipping out armored vehicles and other equipment. Backed by the US and manned by Kenya, the mission struggled with shortfalls of funding and personnel and could not stem the gangs.
The new "Gang Suppression Force"
In its place, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) — approved by the UN Security Council in October 2025 — began deploying in April 2026. Troops from Chad, trained in the US, are replacing the Kenyans. The force is projected to reach about 5,500 personnel, with weapons, equipment and funding supported by a UN office in Port-au-Prince. The transition is expected to run through October 2026.
The political vacuum
The Transitional Presidential Council's mandate ended on February 7, 2026, leaving the path to elections as the challenge. The council approved an electoral decree in December 2025, aiming for votes in late 2026 (August and December). But with security shattered, how free a vote is even possible remains unclear.
Haiti's lesson is heavy. You can rotate foreign forces, but unless you rebuild the skeleton of the state — police, courts, administration — gangs fill the empty space again. Restoring security, rebuilding the state, and earning legitimacy through elections must advance together, or the cycle of violence won't break. For the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America, it is not someone else's problem.
Swap out the forces all you like; without rebuilding the state itself, the violence returns.
References
- Haitian Times, "Kenyan police withdraw, end mission" (2026-03-20) — haitiantimes.com
- UN, "Security Council authorizes transition to Gang Suppression Force" — press.un.org
- The New Humanitarian, "The new Gang Suppression Force, explained" (2025-12-03) — thenewhumanitarian.org
- International Crisis Group, "Undoing Haiti's Deadly Gang Alliance" — crisisgroup.org
※ This article is the author’s commentary based on public information. Please confirm the latest figures, dates and procedures with governments and primary sources. Quotations are kept minimal and sources are cited.