US plans to push for Haiti’s ‘Gang Suppression Force’ at UN meeting
After pressuring leaders of the Organization of American States, Washington continues to push for a new 5,500-member ‘Gang Suppression Force’ to replace the Kenya-led MSS, while pledging to crack down on arms trafficking fueling violence in Haiti
by Juhakenson Blaise Sep. 08, 2025
THE HAITIAN TIMES
The United States has been seeking support from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations for a new anti-gang force in Haiti, as violence has resulted in 3,100 deaths and the displacement of 1.3 million people in just six months this year. After meeting with officials from both international organizations, U.S. diplomats plan to ramp up efforts at the UN General Assembly, which opens on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — As the UN General Assembly prepares to convene its 80th session in New York this month, the United States is ramping up efforts to secure backing for a proposed international force— the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) — to confront Haiti’s spiraling gang violence.
After meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, and the UN Security Council last week, Washington now shifts its focus to the UN Assembly opening on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to gain support for the plan. A draft resolution circulating among member states suggests establishing a 5,500-member force to replace the struggling Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) led by Kenya.
“A secure Haiti means a safer Hemisphere—our collective stability and prosperity depend on it,” the U.S. mission said in a statement on X, following a Sept. 5 meeting with Ramdin. “The OAS is a vital collaborator and coordinator, and we are answering the call from countries in our Hemisphere with these efforts.”
During the meeting, Acting U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS Lee Lipton discussed the initiative, including a proposed UN support office in Port-au-Prince to manage logistics, drone surveillance, fuel and rations.
The MSS, deployed since June 2024, was authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023 to bolster the Haitian National Police (PNH). But it has faced chronic underfunding, personnel shortages and mounting criticism from Haitians who say it has failed to curb gang dominance.
According to the draft resolution submitted by the U.S. and Panama on Aug. 28, the proposed GSF would be managed by a UN support office to avoid the same funding pitfalls. Meanwhile, as the MSS’ future remains uncertain, it is unclear whether Kenya and other troop-contributing nations would remain part of the new force.
U.S. Acting Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea urged member states to join the effort. “To sit at the negotiating table and join the United States, Panama, and other countries that have demonstrated their commitment to Haiti’s security … is a meaningful sharing of responsibilities to help stabilize the country,” she said.
Arms trafficking crackdown as Haiti’s crisis deepens
Even as it lobbies for the GSF, Washington is turning its attention to the weapons pipeline feeding Haiti’s gangs. On Sept. 4, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking alongside Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente, announced measures to stop arms trafficking to Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations. The plan will mobilize the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) to disrupt smuggling networks.
The crackdown follows UN reports that gangs in Haiti are increasingly equipped with high-caliber rifles, sniper systems, and machine guns, many smuggled from the United States. UN human rights expert William O’Neill warned in April that these weapons, often capable of piercing armored vehicles, give gangs a decisive advantage over Haitian police.
U.S. courts have recently sentenced several traffickers, including Jean Wiltene Eugene, who shipped firearms hidden in vehicles, and Michael Adrian Nieto, a former police officer convicted of reselling dozens of weapons to Haitian and Dominican buyers. Haitian American Bazile Richardson from North Carolina was also charged for allegedly financing Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier’s gang,
The violence continues to exact a staggering toll. Between January and June 2025, more than 3,100 people were killed and 1.3 million displaced, according to the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Gangs now control swathes of Port-au-Prince at about 90% and at least 28 municipalities nationwide, where they have committed massacres, mass sexual violence and widespread extortion.
“The gangs use firearms not only to fight the police but to dominate entire communities and commit human rights violations,” O’Neill said.
Meanwhile, as the U.S. works to gather support for the GSF, no date has been set for the UN Security Council to discuss the resolution. Officials are stepping up diplomatic efforts as the UN General Assembly session begins. However, it remains uncertain whether China and Russia will vote in favor of that resolution. Past attempts by the U.S. and its Latin American allies to turn the MSS into a full UN mission have failed because of opposition from these two key countries at the Security Council.
Haiti’s future with the MSS or a successor force remains unresolved, even as the country’s security, humanitarian and political crises continue to deepen.
Fritz Alphonse Jean, former president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), accused segments of the private sector of continuing to fuel the insecurity crisis in an Aug. 5 interview.
“They have used young people as cannon fodder to protect their interests,” Jean said. “These youths have become gangs serving personal agendas.”
I am Juhakenson Blaise, a journalist based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I cover the news that develops in this city and deals with other subjects related to the experience of Haitians for the Haitian Times newspaper. I am also a lover of poetry.
Haitian and Belgian journalists win Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visa for Haiti reporting
From Port-au-Prince to Perpignan, journalists were honored for their Haiti photo documentary, “In Haiti, at the Heart of Hell”
by Aljany Narcius Sep. 11, 2025
THE HAITIAN TIMES
Overview:
Haitian journalists Milo Milfort and Johnson Sabin, alongside Belgian colleague Gaël Turine, won the 2025 Franceinfo Golden Visa Award at the image festival in Perpignan, France, for their immersive digital reporting project “In Haiti, at the Heart of Hell.” The work highlights daily life and resilience in gang-controlled Port-au-Prince, highlighting the essential role of Haitian journalism despite deadly risks.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian journalists Milo Milfort and Johnson Sabin, alongside Belgian colleague Gaël Turine, have received the 2025 FranceinfoGolden Visa for Digital Journalism. Their interactive report, “In Haiti, at the Heart of Hell,” was published last year by La Libre Belgique newspaper.
The award was announced Sept. 4 during the “Visa pour l’Image” festival in Perpignan, France, a prestigious stage that has long showcased conflict and humanitarian reporting from across the globe.
The reporting project combines photographs, testimony and multimedia storytelling to capture life inside gang-controlled neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, where residents endure daily violence but also display resilience and dignity.
“This award represents recognition for useful, high-quality work carried out under difficult conditions,” Milfort said in an interview with The Haitian Times after winning the award. “Gangs entirely control some of the areas we visited and cannot be entered without their authorization.”
Cover page of the digital documentary “In Haiti, at the Heart of Hell” on La Libre Belgique’s site. Photo courtesy of Gaël Turine
Journalism under fire in Haiti
In Haiti, documenting these stories is often a matter of survival. At least 21 journalists were killed between 2000 and 2022, according to an Associated Press (AP) report, including nine in 2022 alone—the deadliest year in modern Haitian media history. In a country where silence often becomes a form of survival, journalists who persist in reporting risk threats, extortion or worse.
“This award has special meaning because it was earned collectively, with Haitian journalists,” said Turine, who has worked in Haiti since 2005. “It proves that despite the conditions, meaningful, high-level work can emerge.”
Sabin also noted how personally affected he was by stories of displaced families. “Their strength and dignity, despite fear and loss, left a profound mark on me,” he said.
“This award represents recognition for useful, high-quality work carried out under difficult conditions.”
Milo Milfort, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visanormal
Profiles of the awardees
Milfort, based in Port-au-Prince, has spent more than a decade reporting on Haiti’s most pressing issues — from gang violence and kidnappings to governance failures and economic struggles. A former reporter for AyiboPost and founder of the investigative outlet Enquet’Action, Milfort is recognized for combining investigative rigor with compelling photography.
He has been a contributor for international outlets such as the Spanish news agency EFE and Dominican Noticias SIN. He is known among peers for his persistence in covering stories in some of Haiti’s most dangerous neighborhoods. His work has earned several regional awards, underscoring his role as one of the country’s leading investigative journalists.
“This award has special meaning because it was earned collectively, with Haitian journalists. It proves that despite the conditions, meaningful, high-level work can emerge.”
Gaël Turine, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visanormal
Sabin, for his part, brings a unique visual eye to Haiti’s contemporary challenges. A photographic journalist who has worked between Haiti and France, Sabin documents political realities and social transformations with sensitivity and depth.
The Haitian journalist’s work has been exhibited both locally and internationally, and he is currently preparing his second book while developing new projects on migration and resilience. His photography — often focused on portraits and community life — offers not only documentation of Haiti’s crises but also insight into its cultural vibrancy and people’s determination to sustain hope.
As for Belgian documentary photographer-journalist Gaël Turine, his experience in Haiti has spanned nearly two decades. This time, he collaborated with the two Haitian professionals, adding a global dimension to the team’s work.
“Their [Haitians] strength and dignity, despite fear and loss, left a profound mark on me.”
Johnson Sabin, Co-winner of Franceinfo’s 2025 Golden Visanormal
Haiti registers a whopping 6M voters amid mass displacements, officials say
Haiti’s ID office says 6.3 million voters are registered, but elections and a contested referendum remain stalled by gang violence
by Juhakenson Blaise Sep. 12, 2025
THE HAITIAN TIMES
Overview:
The National Identification Office (ONI) reported Wednesday that 6.3 million Haitians of voting age now have ID cards, meaning about 85% of potentially eligible voters have been registered and are ready to vote in the upcoming elections. However, those elections remain delayed, even though the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) appears to be moving forward with preparations. No date has been set for either the elections or the controversial constitutional referendum. Security remains the main challenge, with over 1.3 million people displaced and gangs controlling key areas.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s National Identification Office (ONI) announced Wednesday that nearly 6.3 million Haitians of voting age now hold national identification cards — a prerequisite to cast ballots. But the announcement underscores the deep contradiction of Haitian politics today: a growing list of registered voters with no secure path to elections.
The figure, representing roughly 85% of the estimated 7.4 million Haitians of voting age out of about 11.9 million total population, was shared with Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) member Louis Gérald Gilles during his visit to the ONI headquarters. Gilles called the progress “a major step” for elections that have yet to be scheduled.
“On behalf of the Transitional Presidential Council, I reaffirmed my support for the electoral process, which is essential to restoring democratic order and stability in the country,” Gilles said on X following the meeting.
“I advised the institution to keep clear goals, both short-term and long-term, to enhance the credibility of the national identification system.”
While ONI reports record numbers locally, it has yet to release any data on voter registration in the diaspora. Government officials have only stated that offices have also been established abroad.
Authorities praised ONI’s efforts, but the voter roll exists against a backdrop of turmoil. More than 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced by gang violence, according to the United Nations, leaving many voters without homes, secure polling stations or clear access to the ballot box.
In the capital, gangs control about 90% of the territory, including neighborhoods that host electoral offices and voting centers. Several provincial towns face similar challenges. With major roads blocked, displaced people living in shelters or makeshift camps say voting is not even a consideration when they struggle daily for food, water and safety.
Voters registered, elections without security?
While ONI pushes forward with mobile caravans and more than 150 local offices to issue IDs, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has been advancing technical preparations — including staff recruitment and agreements for a dedicated electoral television channel. Still, no election or supposed constitutional referendum date has been announced.
According to authorities, one of the strategies is the deployment of ONI mobile caravans across the country’s departments. Since February 2025, the ONI mobile caravan has been operating in the North. In August, the caravan reached the Grand’Anse department.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé told the United Nations Security Council this week that restoring security remains the first condition. He backed a United States-proposed resolution to transform the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) into a larger Gang Suppression Force (GSF), saying only such a shift could help Haiti organize “credible, free, and transparent elections.”
But with thousands killed in gang violence this year alone, no neighborhoods reclaimed from armed groups, and displaced families filling schools and churches, many Haitians doubt that elections are feasible in the short term.
Pushing for a controversial referendum
The CPT has also been pushing forward with a referendum process on constitutional changes — but lawyers, bar associations and civil society leaders warn the move is illegitimate and illegal. The Port-au-Prince Bar Association called it “legally irregular and illegitimate” in a recent statement. Members of the association argued that under Haiti’s 1987 Constitution [amended in 2011-2012], revisions require a Constituent Assembly, not a referendum organized by transitional leaders.
“Attempting to impose a new Constitution in this context would constitute a violation by the current political authorities of both their oath of office and the 1987 Constitution,” members of the Bar Association said in a recent statement.
“Such an act qualifies as high treason under Article 21 and is punishable by life at hard labor without the possibility of commutation (Article 21-1).”
Critics also warn that forcing such a vote under current conditions would further erode legitimacy, while ordinary Haitians remain in limbo about when — or if — they will be called to elect new leaders.
As officials tout ONI’s progress, the UN says humanitarian needs are outpacing resources. Deputy Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, visiting Haiti this week, announced $9 million in new aid but warned funding is at “historic lows.” The UN’s $908 million appeal has received less than 12% of the needed funds.
“In Port-au-Prince, I saw the last functioning hospital pushed to the brink, forced to cut even maternal care,” Fletcher said Sept. 9 in a post on X. “Families who lost everything are crammed into shelters– women and girls bearing the heaviest toll. The suffering is immense. Haiti needs urgent support.”
Still, the uncertain future for Haiti’s voters remains the same
For now, Haiti has millions of registered voters but no clear date for when their ballots will count. With the CPT’s mandate set to expire on Feb. 7, 2026, and insecurity worsening, the question remains whether the country’s electoral institutions can deliver democracy — or whether Haitians’ hard-won ID cards will remain symbols of an elusive right. Haiti has not held an election since 2016.
“ONI continues its mission to bring identification services closer to [Haitian] citizens,” ONI officials said in a recent statement posted on social media.
“The goal is to make access to the national identification card easier, especially in rural areas that are often neglected.”