A turning point for Haiti? New security forces take on powerful gangs
People walk along this busy main road as traders sell fruit and household items from small stalls.
This cityscape might be unremarkable if it weren’t for the fact that fear of gang violence among the population has often deterred people from the streets of the capital.
It is estimated that at least 26 gangs, sometimes heavily armed, control perhaps as much as 90 percent of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. They sow terror among Haitians through violence, summary executions, extortion and kidnappings for ransom, and prevent trade by blocking the free flow of goods.
Since the beginning of the year, gang violence has left more than 2,300 dead and more than 1,100 injured.
The gang suppression force is based at Camp Vertières in the east of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
What is different now is the deployment of patrols by a new UN Security Council-backed force called the Gang Suppression Force, or GSF, whose base is just a few blocks away from Boulevard du 15 Octobre.
On Tuesday the UN Secretary General António Guterres toured the base while visiting Port-au-Prince.
“Their efforts offer a real opportunity to curb violence and restore the authority of the state,” he told journalists after the visit. “We have no right to miss this opportunity.”
He added that “gangs must be disarmed and dismantled and their members reintegrated – in a Haitian-led process,” reiterating that security alone is not enough, “it must be accompanied by political progress.”
The GSF receives logistical, operational and technical support, including the provision of rations, medical care and transportation, from the recently established United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH).
It plays a critical role in enabling the force to operate effectively in its core missions of neutralizing gangs, protecting vulnerable populations and supporting humanitarian access.
“The goal is clear: to reduce the operational capacity of gangs to a level that Haitian institutions can sustainably manage,” said the head of the GSF. Jack Christofides told this to the Security Council in April.
The base, known as Camp Vertières, is currently being equipped to receive some of the 5,550 personnel ordered by the Security Council. Troops from several countries are currently based on the base and offices are located in shipping containers.
Years of instability
Haiti has known years of instability. Gang violence has contributed to about 1.5 million Haitians fleeing their homes.
Millions of Haitians need humanitarian support as poverty rises, while the country has been without an elected president since the last sitting president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in July 2021.
During his visit to Haiti, the UN chief also spoke with people who had been forced to flee due to gang violence.
“I have met families who have lost everything and yet persevere together, with a courage and dignity that commands admiration,” said Mr. Guterres. “These families have not asked for my condolences. They are waiting for action.”
People who have fled the violence are living in camps in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
Renewed hope
Despite the challenges facing Haiti, there is renewed hope that as the GSF builds its mandatory operational capacity, it will be able to make a positive difference in the daily lives of Haitians, working alongside Haiti’s security forces.
Starting foot patrols and setting up forward bases in Port-au-Prince and outside the capital will give Haitians a greater sense of security and help restore some normalcy to their daily lives.
However, the GSF is expected to have a deeper and longer-lasting impact.
By working with countries in the region to disrupt the supply of weapons and ammunition, by focusing more on border crossings and maritime smuggling routes, and by disrupting financial flows to armed groups, it aims to ensure that gangs can no longer wage war.
The world’s indifference to the fate of Haiti
“For the first time in many years, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel,” Mr Guterres said at the end of his visit. “Haiti has a chance to turn around – but only if the international community assumes its responsibilities. Let’s be clear: gangs are terrorizing Haiti. The institutions are weakened,” he added.
“But the greatest shame is the indifference, the indifference of a world that has looked away.”
If the partnership between the Haitian authorities, the GSF and the United Nations to address Haiti’s unprecedented security situation is successful, even more people will return with confidence to the Boulevard du 15 October and other parts of the capital.
