US receives pledges of 7,500 security personnel for Haiti

The United States ⁠

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has received pledges of up to 7,500 security personnel for a gang suppression ‍force in ⁠ Haiti, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.

But Kenya is not among the countries that have pledged their personnel.

It is not clear why Kenya has not made a pledge as other countries which insiders said include Bangladesh, Chad, Burundi and some Caribbean ones pledged their troops in hundreds.

This could mean the current team of 700 police officers in Port-au-Prince will leave Haiti next year if not considered.

Insiders said Kenya has demanded they be let to continue commanding the new Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

“If Kenya is not allowed to lead the GSF then they have no business being in Haiti,” said an official aware of the developments.

The U.N. Security Council agreed at the end of September 2025 to more than double the ⁠size of a 15-month-old, underfunded and understaffed international security mission combating armed gangs in Haiti and rename it a gang suppression force.

"We were looking for 5,500 forces. We already have pledges of up to 7,500 ‌forces from a variety ‍of countries. We've seen donors step up to fund that effort," Rubio told reporters.

Gangs - largely armed with illicit weapons from the U.S. - have seized almost ‍all of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince in a conflict ‍that has forced 1.3 million people from their homes, and ‍fueled hunger. UNICEF said in August that children make up an estimated 50% of gang members in the Caribbean country.

The U.S. and Canada hosted a closed-door pledging conference for the gang suppression force at the United Nations on December 9, 2025.

They said in a statement that 18 entities had pledged personnel, resources and technical support.

The initial, Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission deployed in Haiti in June 2024 but has struggled to make headway in curbing violent armed gangs - some of which Washington has designated as terrorist organizations.

The first team arrived amid surging violence and has so far stabilized parts of the capital city.

Many credit their arrival for the stability being experienced in the Caribbean country.

Had they not arrived and taken positions, the criminal gangs could be in charge of Port-au-Prince, officials say.

Key achievements of the mission include enhanced stability in Haiti, restored freedom of movement, the reopening of key road networks, and significant progress in training the Haitian Police, authorities said.

On December 4, Rubio praised the role the Kenyan team has played in stabilizing the country.