Guatemala sends additional troops to Haiti after four Salvadoran soldiers go missing
Key Points(5)
- Guatemala has deployed a new military contingent to Haiti to reinforce the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF), as efforts continue to locate four Salvadoran military personnel who went missing after an attack on their armored vehicle.
- The Guatemalan military announced the deployment on Sunday, October 18, saying members of its 2nd Military Police Unit would join the GSF for international security operations in Haiti.
- The departure ceremony took place at the Guatemalan Air Force base and was presided over by National Defense Minister Major General Henry David Sáenz Ramos.
- The US military attaché accredited to Guatemala also attended.
- Although the military did not disclose the size of the contingent or its expected arrival date, Spanish news agency EFE reported that it comprised more than 50 personnel.
Guatemala has deployed a new military contingent to Haiti to reinforce the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF), as efforts continue to locate four Salvadoran military personnel who went missing after an attack on their armored vehicle.
The Guatemalan military announced the deployment on Sunday, October 18, saying members of its 2nd Military Police Unit would join the GSF for international security operations in Haiti.
The departure ceremony took place at the Guatemalan Air Force base and was presided over by National Defense Minister Major General Henry David Sáenz Ramos. The US military attaché accredited to Guatemala also attended.
Although the military did not disclose the size of the contingent or its expected arrival date, Spanish news agency EFE reported that it comprised more than 50 personnel. The troops departed from La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City.
The deployment forms part of Guatemala’s contribution to international efforts to address gang violence in Haiti. President Bernardo Arévalo de León announced a target of deploying 300 Guatemalan military personnel to support security efforts in the country.
The new contingent’s departure coincided with an attack on four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving with the GSF under El Salvador’s Task Force Libertad II.
The four went missing on Sunday after their armored vehicle came under attack in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area near Port-au-Prince controlled by armed gangs.
According to El Salvador’s armed forces, the technicians were returning to their camp when armed groups attacked the vehicle with explosives and set it on fire. The four managed to escape the burning vehicle, but their whereabouts remained unknown as of Monday.
Salvadoran authorities said helicopters were dispatched to the area in an effort to locate the missing personnel, but the aircraft also came under fire. Attempts to approach by land and air were hampered by intense fighting.
The attack was the first major assault on international personnel since the GSF began operations in Haiti earlier this year. The force said it was assessing the situation and advised residents in the affected area to remain indoors.
The incident underscores the security challenges facing the international mission as it seeks to curb the influence of armed gangs and restore access to key roads and infrastructure.
The United Nations-authorized force replaced the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission and is mandated to deploy up to 5,500 uniformed personnel, supported by international partners. Its contributors include Guatemala, El Salvador and Jamaica, among other countries.
The force had more than 2,000 troops deployed in Haiti by October, according to the Associated Press. Its first progress report to the United Nations recorded 1,213 uniformed personnel as of Aug. 31, including 150 Guatemalan military police and 20 Jamaican personnel.
The GSF has conducted patrols and security operations in and around Port-au-Prince, including in Tabarre and Cité Soleil, and has established a presence in Gonaïves, outside the capital. However, gang violence continues to threaten civilians and international personnel.
The United Nations has reported that gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people in Haiti. More than 5,700 people were killed or injured between January and mid-September, while more than 230 others were kidnapped, according to figures cited by the Associated Press.
The latest attack comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade, with the international security mission intended to help establish conditions for greater public safety and the restoration of state authority.
