FILE - Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno participates in his inauguration ceremony in N'djamena, Chad, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mouta Ali, File)
Chad is set to deploy 1,500 troops to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed security force aimed at tackling the escalating gang violence plaguing the Caribbean nation. The announcement was made by Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno in an official letter addressed to the parliament.
During a session held on Monday, the president detailed that two battalions—each consisting of 750 soldiers—will be deployed starting this month for a one-year mission at the request of the UN. He emphasized the honor this mission brings to Chad’s defense and security forces, noting that a 400-man contingent has already been dispatched to Haiti as part of the initiative.
The UN Security Council last year approved an expansion of the multinational force led by Kenya—known as the Gang Suppression Force—to 5,500 personnel. The expanded mandate now includes the authority to arrest suspected gang members, a power the previous force lacked.
The initial mission, launched in 2023, was originally planned to include 2,500 personnel under Kenyan police leadership but faced significant setbacks due to shortages in personnel and funding. Gangs now dominate up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, as well as vast swathes of the country’s central regions.
In 2021, armed assailants stormed the residence of former President Jovenel Moïse, resulting in his assassination. Recent violence has intensified, with at least 30 fatalities and numerous disappearances reported following a brutal attack by the Gran Grif gang in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, a central Haitian city, last month.
