NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 19 — The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti is firmly in control and executing decisive operations against criminal networks, Kenyan Force Commander Godfrey Otunge has said, amid concerns over the transition from the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM).
In a statement issued Wednesday, Otunge said the shift was neither symbolic nor procedural, but a comprehensive restructuring of Haiti’s security apparatus aimed squarely at dismantling entrenched gang networks.
“This was not a cosmetic shift or a change in name. It is a complete reorganization of Haiti’s security machinery,” Otunge said, noting that the GSF integrates “capabilities, personnel, and intelligence of all national forces under one coordinated mission.”
Otunge said joint operations between the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H), and the GSF are executing “targeted, intelligence-led operations and persistent dominance patrols across key areas.”
“We have mobilized all operational assets on land, at sea, and in the air. Our objective is clear: restore peace, protect communities, and ensure that every Haitian can live without fear,” he added.
Otunge described recent gang threats and public displays of defiance as “signs of desperation, not strength,” stressing that the combined forces are “taking ground, disrupting networks, seizing weapons, and neutralizing resisting armed elements.”
“There is no safe haven left,” he warned. “This is not rhetoric; it is what is happening on the ground today and now.”
Otunge also urged Haitians to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of security efforts.
“To the Haitian people: a new dawn is emerging. Your cooperation is essential in delivering the final blow to these criminal groups. Together, we are closing one of the darkest chapters in Haiti’s national history,” he said.
UN mandate
The GSF was created following a United Nations Security Council vote on September 30, which approved Resolution 2793 to transition the Kenya-led MSS into a more robust, heavily armed stabilization force. Twelve members voted in favor, while Russia, China, and Pakistan abstained.
The move ended Kenya’s leadership of the mission, although Nairobi continues to contribute personnel within the new structure.
The GSF has been authorized for 12 months and operates with logistical and political backing from a newly formed UN Support Office and the Organization of American States (OAS).
“This adoption offers Haiti hope,” said US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz.
“That hope has been slipping away as gangs expanded their territory, raped, pillaged, murdered, and terrorized the Haitian population. The very existence of the Haitian state is at stake.”
Scale, scope resources
Waltz praised Kenya and other MSS contributors but noted that the previous mission lacked the “scale, scope, and resources” required to defeat Haiti’s powerful criminal organizations.
“The GSF is designed to correct that,” he said.
Kenya had spearheaded the MSS, led by Otunge, since October 2023, deploying 735 police officers as the backbone of the nearly 1,000-strong multinational force.
However, Nairobi repeatedly cited inadequate funding, delayed equipment, and unfulfilled donor pledges as obstacles to meaningful breakthroughs.
By contrast, the GSF is expected to deploy more than 5,500 personnel — over five times the size of the MSS — and is authorized under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to carry out proactive anti-gang operations, secure critical installations, and restore state authority across territories long controlled by armed groups.
Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council President Laurent Saint praised the UNSC decision, calling the new force essential to “liberating the country.”
Panama, which co-sponsored the resolution, expressed optimism that the expanded mandate and resources would help stabilize Haiti and pave the way for elections, political reform, and economic revival.
