The Republic of Chad has announced plans to deploy 1,500 soldiers to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed security mission aimed at curbing escalating gang violence in the Caribbean nation. According to a letter addressed to the country’s Parliament, this initiative marks Chad’s commitment to international peacekeeping efforts.
In a statement delivered to lawmakers in N’Djamena, President Mahamat Déby Itno revealed that two battalions, each comprising 750 personnel, will be mobilized starting this month for a one-year deployment. The move follows a formal request from the United Nations, underscoring Chad’s role in global security operations.
«A contingent of 400 troops has already been dispatched to Haiti as part of this mission, which reflects the strength and dedication of Chad’s armed forces,» the President affirmed. This deployment is part of a broader UN-backed initiative to stabilize Haiti, a nation grappling with severe gang-related turmoil.
Last year, the UN Security Council authorized an expansion of the multinational force led by Kenya—known as the Gang Suppression Force—to 5,500 personnel. The mandate was also broadened to include the arrest of suspected gang members, a power previously unavailable to peacekeepers.
The initial mission, launched in 2023 with an expected 2,500 personnel under Kenyan police leadership, faced significant challenges due to insufficient funding and staffing. Today, gangs control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, as well as vast rural territories. The security crisis deepened in 2021 when armed assailants assassinated former President Jovenel Moïse at his residence.
Recent clashes have further exacerbated the humanitarian toll. Following a violent offensive by the Gran Grif gang in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite last month, at least 30 individuals were killed, and dozens more remain missing, according to human rights organizations.