The Republic of Chad is set to deploy 1,500 of its troops to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed security force aimed at addressing the Caribbean nation’s severe gang crisis. This decision follows a formal request from the UN and was announced by President Mahamat Déby Itno in a parliamentary address on Monday.
Under the directive, two battalions—each comprising 750 soldiers—will begin their deployment this month for a one-year mission. President Déby emphasized the honor and commitment of Chad’s defense forces, noting that an initial contingent of 400 personnel has already been dispatched to Haiti.
The UN Security Council last year expanded the multinational force—led by Kenya and dubbed the Gang Suppression Force—to 5,500 troops. The mandate was also broadened to include the arrest of suspected gang members, a power not granted to the previous mission, which struggled with funding and personnel shortages despite launching in 2023 with an intended strength of 2,500 officers.
Gang-related violence has engulfed large parts of Haiti, with armed groups now controlling up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and significant rural territories. The instability peaked in 2021 when gunmen assassinated former President Jovenel Moïse in his private residence.
Recent clashes have left at least 30 dead and many more missing, according to human rights monitors, after the Gran Grif gang launched a brutal offensive in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, a central Haitian town, last month.
