Overview:
Dominican President Luis Abinader said the Dominican Republic will not deploy security forces to Haiti as part of the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force, limiting its role to humanitarian, medical and logistical support. His comments come amid longstanding Haitian concerns over Dominican involvement in the neighboring country’s affairs, rooted in centuries of conflict and more recent immigration tensions.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Dominican President Luis Abinader said the Dominican Republic will not deploy troops to Haiti as part of the the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), drawing a clear line between humanitarian and logistical support and any direct military involvement in Haiti’s security crisis.
“We do not have direct participation. What we have is logistical participation,” Abinader said. “We provide support, medical humanitarian assistance, and coordination.”
The announcement, made during a July 12 interview, addresses one of the most politically sensitive questions surrounding the international security mission. While several countries have committed personnel, many Haitians have long opposed any direct Dominican military or police presence because of the neighboring countries’troubled history and ongoing disputes over migration and border policy.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola but have a history marked by violent conflicts, including Haiti’s 22-year occupation of the neighboring territory in the early 19th century, the 1937 Parsley Massacre in which thousands of Haitians were killed under Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, and decades of disputes over migration, citizenship and border security.
Those tensions have intensified in recent years as the Dominican government expanded deportations of Haitian migrants, strengthened border controls and built sections of a border wall while repeatedly warning that Haiti’s insecurity threatens Dominican national security.
“We do not have direct participation. What we have is logistical participation.”
Dominican President Luis Abinader
Even so, Abinader’s comments did little to ease concerns among some Haitians, who remain wary of any direct Dominican security presence on Haitian soil.
Jean Wilgens Charle, president of the grassroots organization Esklav Revolte, said many Haitians oppose any Dominican security role inside the country.
“We firmly oppose any attempt by the Dominican Republic to enter Haiti,” Charle told The Haitian Times.
“Whether under the guise of humanitarian aid, police assistance or military involvement, the Dominican Republic will face resistance in every form.”
Reginald Dumé, a member of the sociopolitical movement Petro Challenger, concurred. He said the Dominican government’s decision not to deploy troops avoided an even more controversial scenario.
“The worst part is that today nothing guarantees that Santo Domingo will not end up making decisions on our behalf,” Dumé explained. “Everything that has happened has brought us to the point where the Dominican Republic now participates in international discussions about Haiti.”
New force replaces Kenya-led mission as security crisis persists
The GSF replaced the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission after its mandate ended in October 2025.
Unlike the MSS mission, which struggled with funding shortages and never reached its planned strength of 2,500 personnel, the GSF has broader operational authority and receives logistical support through a U.N. office responsible for facilitating equipment, weapons and ammunition.
The force is expected to reach 5,500 personnel by October.
More than 1,000 security personnel from 10 countries have already deployed, according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.
“This is the international community coming into Haiti to wrest it from these gangs and bring stability for the Haitian people,” Waltz said during a July 10 visit to Haiti.
Despite the growing international deployment, gangs continue to control large portions of the country.
Abinader estimated that armed groups still dominate more than 70% of Port-au-Prince, limiting communication between the two governments.
“Relations with the Haitian government are not very smooth because of the conditions that exist there,” he said. “We coordinate with foreign forces, and whenever coordination with the government is needed, we do it through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Violence has continued across the West, Artibonite and Centre departments.
In Kenscoff, attacks between July 4 and July 8 killed at least eight residents and displaced more than 5,000 people.
During a June visit to Haiti, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said more than 2,300 people had been killed and 1,100 injured during the first half of 2026. Nearly 1.5 million people have been displaced, while about 6.4 million require humanitarian assistance.
“Gangs are terrorizing the country, and for too many Haitians, each day is a struggle for survival,” Guterres said. “This is absolutely intolerable. It must stop.”
