US and Panama propose new force of 5,550 to tackle gangs in Haiti, with the power to detain

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and Panama are urging the U.N. Security Council to authorize a 5,550-member force with the power to detain gang members in Haiti to help stop the escalating violence.

The two countries outlined their proposal to transform the Kenya-led multinational force now deployed in the Caribbean nation into a much larger force in a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The first Kenyans arrived in Haiti in June 2024 and the force was supposed to have 2,500 troops, but it has been plagued by a lack of funding and its current strength is below 1,000.

Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse 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.

The six-page draft resolution expresses appreciation to Kenya for leading the multinational force but reaffirms Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ finding in February that it hasn’t been able to keep pace with the dramatic expansion of the gangs and needed to be scaled up.

Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea had announced on Aug. 28 that the U.S. was seeking U.N. authorization for a new Gang Suppression Force.

The draft resolution would authorize U.N. member nations to transition the mission into such a force in cooperation with Haiti’s government for an initial period of 12 months. The force would be able to detain and arrest Haitians.

It states that the force would consist of 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilians who would be paid from voluntary contributions. But it does not specify whether Kenya or any other country would contribute troops or police.

The resolution would authorize participants in the new force to “conduct independent, intelligence-led targeted counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter gangs that continue to threaten the civilian population, abuse human rights and undermine Haitian institutions.”

The new force would also provide security for critical infrastructure, including the airport and ports, schools and hospitals, along with the Haitian police and armed forces. And it would support Haitian efforts “to combat illicit trafficking and diversion of arms and related materiel.”