Description: Haiti has received the first contingent of troops arriving from Chad under the leadership of South African UN representative, Jack Christofides. The troops are part of the previously approved UN Gang Suppression Force (GSF) which is expected to have extended jurisdiction compared to the previous voluntary troops primarily deployed from Kenya. The number of troops hasn’t been disclosed, however, the Chadian troops would be permitted to conduct arrests, interrogations and investigations into the gang violence in the country. Chadian troops arrive after the latest surge of violence in which the Gran Grif gang and its affiliate gangs killed more than 70 people in the Artibonite agricultural region in Haiti.
Impact: The arrival of the troops from Chad sets a stable basis for the development of the UN – backed Gang Suppression Force, however, the efficacy and efficiency of the initial deployment would be seen in the upcoming period. The extension of the troops’ jurisdiction to conduct investigations, arrests and interrogations significantly expands the charter of the GSF, however, the troops are facing an upscale battle in regaining control from the gangs which control most of the capital and large swathes of central and rural Haiti. The GSF’s initial test would be counteracting the surge of recent violence and expanding coordination with the Haitian national police and private military contractors active in the country. Haiti would remain unstable in the near period while stabilization efforts would be strongly contingent on the efficiency of the GSF in the immediate term.