Chad to send 1,500 security personnel to haiti for anti-gang mission

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby has confirmed that his country will deploy 1,500 soldiers to Haiti. The troops are set to join the Gang Repression Force (FRG), a mission established by the United Nations to tackle criminal groups, according to the announcement made on Monday, April 20, 2026.

“Our nation will contribute to this force with two battalions, each comprising 750 individuals, making a total of 1,500 personnel. A contingent of 400 is already stationed in Haiti.”

Mahamat Idriss Déby, Chadian President

The decision was communicated in a message from the head of state to Chadian deputies and senators, which was read aloud by Ali Kolotou Tchaïmi, the President of the National Assembly.

This new commitment doubles Chad’s initial pledge. On March 24, the country had already announced it would send 750 security force members for the mission; a second battalion of the same size will now be added.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby highlighted Chad’s extensive experience in international coalitions and peacekeeping operations. He referenced the nation’s involvement in the fight against the jihadist group Boko Haram, as well as deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Cameroon, and its key role within the G5 Sahel.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, has been engulfed by the violence of criminal gangs for years, with widespread murders, rapes, pillaging, and kidnappings. These gangs exert control over nearly the entire capital city of Port-au-Prince and, according to the UN, “have extended their influence beyond the capital” over the past year. A recent report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, released in March, revealed that violence perpetrated by and against these gangs resulted in over 5,500 deaths in Haiti between March 2025 and mid-January.

The FRG is a multinational mission designed to support the Haitian police in their operations against the gangs, with a maximum authorized strength of 5,500 police and military personnel. This new force takes the place of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS), which was led by Kenya. The previous mission faced controversy, with Kenyan soldiers in Haiti being accused of sexual assault, including against minors.