Guatemalan Troops Join UN Mission in Haiti to Combat Gang Violence

150 Guatemalan soldiers arrive to support a Kenyan-led international force as gang control intensifies in Port-au-Prince.

A total of 150 Guatemalan military police officers have been deployed to Haiti, arriving in two groups on Friday and Saturday, to reinforce the UN-backed Multinational Security Support mission.
The mission, led by Kenya, aims to address escalating gang violence that has left 85% of Port-au-Prince under gang control and resulted in thousands of deaths and displacements in recent years.
The Guatemalan contingent joins 400 security officers already deployed, including personnel from Kenya, Jamaica, Belize, and El Salvador, with more international reinforcements expected in the coming months.
The mission faces significant challenges, including underfunding, lack of equipment, and increasing gang attacks targeting hospitals, journalists, and public infrastructure.
Haiti's transitional government has requested that the mission be upgraded to a full UN peacekeeping effort, but this proposal faces opposition from China and Russia at the UN Security Council.