Barbados welcomes UN resolution creating gang suppression force for Haiti

Barbados and other CARICOM member states have welcomed a UN Security Council resolution creating a new Gang Suppression Force (GSF) of up to 5 500 personnel to deploy to Haiti.

This resolution, passed on Monday, is designed to support ongoing efforts to stabilise the security situation in Haiti and pave the way for elections.

Speaking on behalf of CARICOM, Barbados’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, François Jackman, said, “It is a critical first step towards creating favourable conditions for elections, sustained delivery of humanitarian support/relief, the rebuilding of institutions and laying the foundation for the long-term economic development of Haiti.”

Ambassador Jackman said CARICOM will work with the Security Council to provide the necessary support to the Haitian people.

“We look to the wider international community to step up its support boldly and with resolve to end the violence and the suffering that the people of Haiti have endured for far too long,” he said.

The GSF mandate is for a renewable one-year period and replaces the Kenyanled Multinational Security Support Force, which has been in place since 2023. The GSF is a larger, more robust force with a focused mandate on addressing the violence and disorder created by armed gangs in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the country. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade)