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UN-Backed Force Begins Haiti Deployment With First Chadian Team

The step signals a larger push featuring arrest powers backed by dedicated UN logistics.

A police officer stands guard in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Overview

  • An advance team from Chad and special representative Jack Christofides are now in Port-au-Prince, according to the force’s official statement.
  • The rollout launches a UN-backed mission of up to 5,550 personnel with authority to arrest suspected gang members, replacing the smaller Kenya-led effort.
  • The UN Support Office in Haiti is supplying housing, office space, medical care, rations, water, power, fuel, vehicles, and air support to start operations.
  • Christofides will work with Force Commander Godfrey Otunge on a strategy and donor coordination, with UN officials aiming to reach full strength by summer or early fall.
  • The deployment answers a severe crisis in which gangs control most of the capital and UN data record more than 5,500 killed and 1.4 million people displaced.