Chad plans to send 1,500 personnel to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed multinational security mission, according to a letter from the presidency to lawmakers seen on Monday.
The deployment would bring Chad’s total contribution to two battalions of 750 troops each, scheduled to serve for 12 months starting in April. Around 400 Chadian personnel are already in Haiti, following an initial deployment on April 1 alongside a newly appointed mission commander.
The force, which is intended to support Haitian police in combating powerful armed gangs, has struggled to meet its targets. Initially planned at 2,500 personnel, the mission reached only about 40% of that goal before it was expanded last October to 5,500 troops. Some contingents have since begun withdrawing.
Roughly 1,000 personnel have deployed so far, led primarily by police units from Kenya, with smaller contributions from countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Officials from Mongolia and Sri Lanka held talks with Haitian police last week but did not confirm any troop commitments.
The United Nations Security Council first authorized support for the mission in October 2023, but the effort has faced funding shortfalls and limited operational success.
Violence in Haiti has worsened sharply, with more than 1.4 million people displaced, up from around 133,600 previously. Thousands have been killed as armed groups extend their control beyond the capital, much of which remains under the grip of the “Viv Ansanm” gang alliance.
Haitian authorities have repeatedly postponed elections due to insecurity, with the last national vote held a decade ago.
A recent U.N. report also raised concerns over misconduct, including allegations of sexual abuse involving some members of the multinational force.