Overview:
The United Nations has appointed German diplomat Daniela Kroslak to head its new Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH), which will back the deployment of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). The mission will replace the outgoing Multinational Security Support force, which has been gradually withdrawing.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United Nations has appointed veteran German diplomat Daniela Kroslak to lead its newly created UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH), a key role in coordinating the deployment of a multinational anti-gang force set to replace the struggling Kenya-led mission.
The office will support the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), approved by the U.N. Security Council in Sept. 2025, which is set to replace the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. It will oversee logistics, equipment and operational coordination with Haitian and international partners.
Kroslak’s appointment, announced March 19, comes as preparations intensify for the GSF’s initial deployment in April. The MSS has delivered limited results after nearly two years of deployment. The appointment was made by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, naming Kroslak as assistant secretary-general.
“I am honored to have been appointed by the Secretary-General as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH),” the German diplomat wrote on LinkedIn.
“At a time of profound challenges for Haiti, this new mandate carries both urgency and responsibility. I look forward to working closely with Haitian stakeholders and partners, nationally and internationally, to support efforts that bring greater stability, improved security, and lasting solutions.”
The U.N. said Kroslak brings more than 25 years of experience in political affairs, peacekeeping and mission management, including work in conflict-affected settings. She previously contributed to a 2025 review of the U.N. mission in Libya and led an independent staffing review of the U.N. Office to the African Union in 2024. Kroslak holds a doctorate in international politics from Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom and a bachelor’s degree in applied languages from Paul-Valéry University Montpellier in France.
Transition from Kenyan-led mission amid mounting violence and limited results
Her appointment comes as Kenyan police and other nations’ forces begin withdrawing from Haiti, marking a transition away from the MSS mission launched in June 2024.
Kenya’s National Police Service confirmed that 208 officers returned home March 24, just days after another group of 215 officers arrived in Nairobi from Port-au-Prince. The departure of these two contingents follows an earlier withdrawal of more than 100 officers in December 2025. The phased withdrawal is expected to continue in the coming months, with a full transition to the GSF planned by October 2026.
According to Dominican authorities, Chadian forces will gradually replace Kenyan personnel. Chad is expected to contribute about 800 personnel to the new force.
Initial deployments will include engineering units arriving in early April to prepare operational bases, followed by additional troops later in the month and into June. The GSF is projected to reach a total strength of about 5,500 personnel.
The transition comes as Haiti’s security crisis continues to worsen, raising questions about the effectiveness of international interventions.
A U.N. report released March 24 documented at least 5,519 people killed and 2,608 injured between March 2025 and January 2026. Violence has spread beyond Port-au-Prince into the Artibonite and Centre regions, with gangs controlling key routes and neighborhoods.
According to the report:
- Gangs were responsible for at least 1,424 deaths
- Security operations accounted for 3,497 deaths
- Self-defense groups caused 598 deaths
Despite ongoing operations, more than 85% of the capital remains under gang control, including areas dominated by the Viv Ansanm coalition.
The Haitian National Police said it continues operations in downtown Port-au-Prince, targeting gang strongholds in areas such as Pacot, Grand Rue, Monseigneur Guilloux Street and the open market Marche Salomon.
“The PNH has established a major security operation … aiming to neutralize the criminal gang Viv Ansanm,” the police said in a statement.
Concerns over sovereignty and effectiveness
The transition is unfolding as doubts grow over whether a new international force can succeed where previous efforts have struggled.
The new force is already drawing criticism from some Haitian political and civil society groups, who question both its effectiveness and its impact on national sovereignty.
Organizations such as Petro-Challenger and the Point Final Movement argue that the Kenyan-led mission failed to deliver meaningful security improvements and warn that the new force risks repeating the same shortcomings.
“We no longer see Haiti’s sovereignty recognized at the international level,” said Ulysse Jean Chenet, coordinator of the Point Final Movement. “A new foreign force will be deployed, but the population still lacks security.”
The U.N.’s new support office will now play a central role in coordinating the next phase of international security assistance — even as many Haitians remain skeptical that the transition will bring tangible change on the ground.
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