El Salvador’s contingent in Haiti’s U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) has become the focus of a tense standoff after four of its soldiers were ambushed and went missing on 18 October. The soldiers were operating in Croix‑des‑Bouquets, a town outside Port‑au‑Prince that is a stronghold for the country’s most entrenched gangs. Remains were recovered on Saturday that are suspected to be those of the missing men, but no positive identification has yet been made, and President Nayib Bukele said the remains did not appear to belong to his soldiers. Bukele has warned that if the soldiers are not returned alive, the Salvadoran government will respond with a “severe military” operation. The threat has raised concerns that the U.N. mission could become a direct confrontation between Haitian armed groups and the Salvadoran government. The GSF was launched in April with a mandate to take the fight to gangs, seize weapons, and restore control of key areas. The force is intended to be independent of the Haitian National Police, have arrest powers, and operate on an intelligence‑led basis. It was expected to field 5,500 soldiers from a range of contributing countries, but six months after its arrival it had only 2,000 troops on the ground. Delays in troop contributions and logistical challenges have slowed the deployment. The mission has cleared gang roadblocks, seized weapons, and conducted patrols in downtown Port‑au‑Prince, freeing Haitian police to respond to serious outbreaks of violence. Since its arrival, the GSF has made 26 arrests, but 18 of those individuals were released for lack of evidence. In Gros‑Morne, a city where the GSF has operated, gangs reportedly killed civilians in retaliation for the force’s activities. The GSF’s funding is drawn from a dedicated U.N. trust fund that is expected to cost about $400 million a year. According to U.N. records, $194 million has been received to date. The mission’s commander is from Mongolia, and the force includes infantry, police, maritime, and air units. A Salvadoran helicopter unit, staffed with soldiers, medics, and technicians, has flown missions that included evacuating injured personnel and transporting soldiers across gang territory. The unit also flew to pick up a Sri Lankan soldier who had broken his legs. The incident has drawn criticism that the mission’s arrival was slow and underwhelming. “We’ve got a long way to go,” said Jack Christofides, the GSF’s special representative. “I don’t believe the gangs can sustain a fight against professional soldiers coming from so many different countries.” He added that the force has real capabilities, including infantry, police, maritime, and air units, and that most of its forces should be on the ground by the end of the year. The violence in Haiti has escalated since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. More than 22,000 people have been killed in gang‑related violence, with over 5,000 deaths reported this year alone. Gangs control many parts of Port‑au‑Prince, forcing residents to flee neighborhoods that have become “no‑man’s lands.” The GSF’s operations in Tabarre, a former school cleared of gangs, highlight the challenge of maintaining control in areas where civilians still lack basic services. In a video released by gang leader Lanmò Sanjou, who operates in the area where the Salvadoran soldiers were taken, the leader referenced Bukele and displayed buckets of bullets. “We will fight to stay alive,” the video said. The situation remains fluid, with the Salvadoran government and the U.N. mission closely monitoring developments as the GSF continues to operate in some of Haiti’s most dangerous areas.
Article source: San Juan Daily Star | Image credit: San Juan Daily Star