Kenyan officers deployed under the GSF during a joint operation in Haiti’s capital. Courtesy: Government of Kenya
By Daisy Okiring
Nairobi, Kenya: The United States is urging the international community to urgently scale up financial and troop commitments for Haiti’s Gang Suppression Force (GSF), warning that Kenya cannot shoulder the operation alone as violence in the Caribbean nation intensifies.
Speaking in Canada during a regional security briefing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Kenya-led mission remains dangerously under-resourced, with just 2,000 officers deployed out of the 5,500 mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
Rubio said Washington has already financed the first phase of the GSF transition but insisted that other countries must step in to fund the remaining months and provide additional personnel.
He described the situation in Haiti as “a hemispheric crisis” requiring joint responsibility, not a burden that Kenya should carry single-handedly.
Funding gap threatens mission’s stability
The GSF was formally established on 30 September after the UN Security Council approved the transformation of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission into a more robust force to confront Haiti’s armed gangs.
The transition created a new UN Support Office alongside logistical structures managed by the Organisation of American States (OAS). But Rubio said the mission is now stalled by a large funding shortfall.
“We have agreed to fund the first half of the transition phase, which ends this calendar year. The next three or four months must be financed by other partners,” Rubio said. “And beyond that, the UN Support Office and the GSF need significant financial backing. Kenya cannot be left alone with 2,000 troops.”
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Washington is pushing member states—especially in the Caribbean and Latin America—to contribute to the force. Rubio said the US is in daily contact with potential troop contributors.
Kenya remains central, but leadership talks continue
Kenya deployed officers to Haiti earlier this year under the MSS mission and has since transitioned them into the GSF, where they have been conducting patrols, securing key installations, and dismantling gang networks.
Questions have emerged over whether Kenya will continue to command the newly restructured force. Rubio said discussions are ongoing.
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“We welcome Kenya’s leadership, and we are grateful for what the Kenyans have done. But we believe there must be greater hemispheric participation. This is a regional crisis. Countries in this hemisphere need to take responsibility,” he said.
Caribbean states have been slow to commit troops, citing logistical challenges and political pressure from domestic constituencies wary of security interventions. Some Latin American countries have expressed willingness but have not yet formalised commitments.
GSF struggling as gang violence escalates
Haiti remains in a state of extreme volatility. Armed criminal groups control most of Port-au-Prince and several surrounding regions. The violence has blocked humanitarian deliveries, shut down hospitals, and forced thousands of families to flee.
Despite this, the GSF continues to conduct targeted operations with the limited personnel currently available.
UN officials say the mission needs to reach at least 70 percent of its troop strength to push gangs back and reopen transport corridors. Without reinforcements, there are concerns that progress made during recent operations could stall or reverse.
“Haiti is at a tipping point,” a UN official familiar with the mission said. “Kenya and the current contingents cannot stabilize the country alone. Additional forces are essential.”
US signals readiness to escalate stance on Sudan’s RSF
During the same briefing, Rubio said Washington is considering supporting a proposal by US senators to designate Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) or a global terrorist group.
He said the atrocities committed by RSF fighters—including sexual violence, mass killings, and targeted attacks on civilians—may justify stronger punitive measures.
“We need actionable results. The violence in Sudan must stop,” Rubio said. “The RSF believes it is winning and continues these horrifying acts. We are working with partner nations to bring this to an end.”
Humanitarian agencies warn that the continued escalation in Sudan risks creating a breeding ground for extremist recruitment and cross-border instability.
International response still slow
Security analysts say the US push for wider participation in the Haiti mission reflects growing concern that the GSF could collapse without rapid support. Several countries have pledged to review the request but have not made firm commitments.
Meanwhile, Kenyan officers continue to operate with limited backup as they await reinforcements.
“The worst-case scenario is Kenya becoming overstretched, isolated, and exposed in a highly volatile environment,” an analyst at the Caribbean Policy Institute told The Eastleigh Voice. “The US understands this risk and is trying to pre-empt it.”
Rubio said Washington will continue pressing partners until the GSF reaches its full operational capacity.
“We cannot allow Haiti to descend further into crisis,” he said. “And we cannot expect Kenya to carry this burden alone.”
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