Haiti Gang Suppression Force Faces UN Renewal Vote After Reprisal Kills at Least 11
SECURITY · HAITI
Key Facts
- —The country Haiti, a Caribbean nation of about 12 million, has had no elected president since 2021. Gangs control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
- —What happened A gang reprisal killed at least 11 people in Gros-Morne on Monday 28 September, the local mayor told Radio Kiskeya, Reuters reported.
- —Who is involved The Kokorat San Ras gang, a Sri Lankan unit of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, and the Haitian National Police.
- —What it means for you The UN Security Council votes on Tuesday 29 September on extending the force to 31 March 2027. Its support office and logistics depend on that vote.
- —Still open Whether the force reaches full strength before the 13 December 2026 election. About 1,083 soldiers were deployed as of 8 July, Security Council Report said.
The Haiti Gang Suppression Force faces a renewal vote at the UN Security Council on Tuesday morning, 29 September. On Monday, a gang killed at least 11 people in the Artibonite region in reprisal for a brief operation by the force.
Police near the capital, by contrast, report steady gains in Kenscoff and Gressier. The two pictures show a force that can win ground but cannot yet hold it.
A reprisal in Gros-Morne
On Monday morning a Sri Lankan unit of the force pushed back gang members running illegal toll points around Gros-Morne, Reuters reported. The force said three gang members were killed.
The unit returned to its base in Gonaïves within hours. The Kokorat San Ras gang then attacked, and mayor Hubert Ceneac told Radio Kiskeya that between 11 and 12 people died.
“The bandits in retaliation attacked… they killed and burned homes,” the mayor said. Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest daily, reported at least ten dead and named several localities hit, including Savann Long and Grépin.
What the Security Council is voting on
The draft, written by Panama and the United States, extends the force for six months, to 31 March 2027. It also keeps the UN support office that supplies the mission, according to Security Council Report, a New York research group.
Diplomats call it a technical rollover, a short text that leaves the mandate unchanged. China and Russia wanted a three-month renewal and an independent review of progress, which the final draft leaves out.
The Council first authorised the force on 30 September 2025, with 12 votes in favour and three abstentions. Member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) unanimously backed renewal and full deployment, Le Nouvelliste reported.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, back from the UN General Assembly, demanded the effective deployment of all 5,500 authorised uniformed members. He has governed alone since the nine-member presidential council dissolved on 7 February 2026.
Gains near the capital
On 24 September Le Nouvelliste reported that police killed three suspected gang members at Jasmin, in Gressier, west of the capital. A source said officers recovered three assault rifles and had advanced from ITECA and Monvil to Jasmin.
On 26 September the police said they had retaken Godet, Viard-1, Viard-2 and Bois d’Avril in Kenscoff, above Port-au-Prince. Gangs had held those areas for months. See Haiti Police Push Into Kenscoff as Kidnapping Fear Grips Port-au-Prince.
Ten armoured vehicles bought with state funds arrived on 28 September, government sources told Le Nouvelliste. The police and the Armed Forces of Haiti each received five.
Why it matters for the election
Haiti plans its first national vote since 2016, with a first round on 13 December 2026. Nine presidential hopefuls have come forward, as reported in Haiti’s First Vote in a Decade Draws Nine Presidential Hopefuls.
Voting needs secure roads and polling stations in the Artibonite and the capital, which is why the Haiti Gang Suppression Force matters. Background on the transition and the force is in Haiti Explained 2026.
What Is Not Yet Known
The result of Tuesday’s vote was not known at the time of writing. Nor is it clear whether China and Russia will abstain again.
The full Gros-Morne toll is still unconfirmed, and a human rights network said one family lost several members. The Gressier figures come from a single unnamed source and have not been independently confirmed.
Sources: Le Nouvelliste, Gros-Morne attack, 28 Sep 2026 · Reuters via ThePrint, 28 Sep 2026 · Security Council Report, 28 Sep 2026 · Le Nouvelliste, Security Council vote · Le Nouvelliste, OAS declaration · Le Nouvelliste, prime minister · Le Nouvelliste, Gressier, 24 Sep 2026 · Le Nouvelliste, Kenscoff · Le Nouvelliste, armoured vehicles
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