Haitian government calls for renewal of international anti-gang task force

Haitian foreign minister says renewal is necessary to ensure safety ahead of elections scheduled in December.Haiti’s Foreign Ministry has called on the United Nations Security Council to renew the mandate of an internationally backed security force meant to tamp down the powerful armed groups controlling parts of the country.On Thursday, Foreign Minister Raina Forbin reiterated her view that the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) needed to be fully deployed to her country, with support from the international community.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Haitian gangs release 13 captives after mass kidnapping in Kenscofflist 2 of 3Haiti police confront public frustration after deadly gang attack kills 47list 3 of 3Violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 peopleend of listIts mandate, however, is slated to expire on September 30, unless the UNSC acts to extend its mission.“We need technical, financial, logistical and safety support that is up to the challenge,” said Forbin. “We must now move from solidarity to action.”Her remarks came at a meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS), focused on the continued gang violence in Haiti.Forbin gestured to a pressing need in her country. This year alone, in the three months from April to June, an estimated 1,408 people were killed in Haiti, with 656 injured. Much of that violence was attributed to gangs.Haiti is also pushing ahead with long-postponed general elections. Critics, however, fear that the violence could disrupt the elections and weaken public confidence in the outcome.political instability in Haiti has been heightened since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Armed groups have flourished in the vacuum, assuming control over large swaths of the capital of Port-au-Prince and displacing more than one million people.Authorities have struggled to address either the out-of-control violence or the deeper causes of instability in the country, including poverty and government corruption.