GSF Commander Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri (Mongolia) Arrives Port-au-Prince — Formally Installed as First Non-Kenyan Commander of International Haiti Mission

Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia arrived at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on May 14, 2026, and was formally installed as commander of the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF). Batsuuri is the first non-Kenyan to command an international security mission in Haiti since the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission launched in June 2024. He brings over 30 years of UN peacekeeping experience across Cyprus, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and South Sudan. His appointment reflects the GSF's UN command structure — unlike the MSS, which was Kenya-led and AU-backed, the GSF operates directly under UN Security Council authorization and can conduct independent operations alongside the Haitian National Police and Armed Forces when necessary. At the time of his arrival, approximately 800 GSF personnel were deployed: a growing Chadian contingent (400+ present, with 1,100 additional expected by June 2026), approximately 75 Guatemalans, and approximately 70 Salvadorans. The GSF is authorized for up to 5,500 personnel under UNSCR 2793 but remains far below full strength. Batsuuri's command assumption coincided with the worst security deterioration in Port-au-Prince since the February–March 2024 gang offensive: the Cité Soleil gang clashes were ongoing, MSF's hospital remained evacuated, and BINUH had just issued a provisional toll of 78 killed since May 9. The timing underscored both the urgency of the security mission and the current force's inadequacy to address the Cité Soleil crisis beyond the city center corridor.