The United Nations Security Council renewed the Gang Suppression Force mandate for six months as armed groups continue to control large parts of Haiti and close to 1.5 million people have fled their homes. The extension runs through March 31, 2027. Twelve nations voted for it, and none opposed it; China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing insufficient funding, personnel and efficacy.
The decision keeps an international security force operating in Haiti ahead of the country’s first election in a decade. But the mandate still depends on a Security Council decision, even though Haitian leaders first called for international security support in 2022 and urged countries to renew the force’s authority.
A mandate backed by a divided council
Hours before the Security Council vote, gang members attacked homes in Haiti’s breadbasket region, burned houses and killed at least 11 people. A local mayor said the attack was retaliation for a GSF unit killing three gang members while pressing against illegal toll booths.
The council renewed the mandate with 12 votes in favor and none against. China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing concerns about the mission’s funding, the number of personnel available and its efficacy. The base article offers no further details about their positions or proposed alternatives.
The GSF operates at less than 30% of its intended size. US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said about 1,500 troops were deployed in Haiti, with the remaining 4,000 expected to arrive in the coming months. The mission’s stated purpose is to provide security ahead of the election.
“Seven missions have been dedicated to Haiti over the previous decades and obviously to limited success,” Waltz said. “We’re trying to do something genuinely different.” His remarks addressed the record of previous missions and the stated aim of the current deployment.
Violence and displacement
A month before the latest attack, a massacre in the hillside town of Kenscoff near the capital left at least 47 people dead and about 50 more kidnapped. The report places that attack alongside the killing of at least 11 people in the breadbasket region, where a local mayor linked the violence to the GSF operation against illegal toll booths.
Close to 1.5 million people have fled their homes as insecurity worsened. Successive transitional governments have long delayed elections during that deterioration. The report provides no further breakdown of those displaced or details about where they have gone.
Election timetable and force record
Haiti’s election is scheduled for December 13, 2026, and final results are due March 7, 2027. The renewed GSF mandate extends through March 31, 2027, keeping the mission authorized beyond the scheduled date for final results.
The GSF launched a year ago after a prior Kenyan-led mission struggled to meet its goals using voluntary contributions. Its troops withdrew early in 2026. The current force remains below 30% of its intended size, despite the expected arrival of another 4,000 troops in the coming months. The Security Council renewed its mandate, but the abstaining countries’ stated concerns about resources and effectiveness remain part of the council record.