Haitians are hopeful new U.N. force will rein in gangs

Residents want 'their life back,' but there's much uncertainty about deployment.

- BY DÁNICA COTO AND EVENS SANON

Radios across Haiti were abuzz on Wednesday with the news that the U.N. Security Council had approved the creation of a so-called gang suppression force to help the troubled Caribbean country.

The force would replace a smaller U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that remains understaffed and underfunded and whose mandate expired Thursday.

"I'm hoping these people are serious this time," said Darlene Jean-Jacques, who lives with her 10-year-old son in a crowded and filthy shelter after gangs raided their neighborhood and killed her partner. "A force to come and support Haitians would be wonderful so people can have their life back."

Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. They now control 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape, into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.

But Haitians and experts alike remain cautious about yet another international force, which was approved Tuesday.

A gap in security

Little is known about the deployment timeline of the new force, which would have 5,550 personnel, a 12-month mandate and the power to arrest suspected gang members, something the current force lacks.

"There are some answers and still a lot of uncertainty," said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.