Jamaica has welcomed the decision by the United Nations Security Council to extend the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force, GSF, in Haiti for the next six months.
The extension, which will end on March 31 next year, was announced on Tuesday.
Foreign affairs minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, reiterated Jamaica’s call for renewal of the force’s mandate during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
She’s urging the international community to back the renewal with the equipment needed to make the force more effective.
The Gang Suppression Force is mandated to neutralise armed gangs, protect critical infrastructure and support humanitarian access in Haiti.
The renewal comes as the force remains well short of its authorised strength.
As of July, the GSF had just over 1,000 personnel from Chad, Mongolia, Jamaica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Sri Lanka.
Senator Johnson Smith says armed gangs must not feel complacent in dictating the future of Haiti or the wider Caribbean.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, foreign affairs minister.
