Foreign forces are headed to fight Haiti’s gangs. But haven’t we been here before? | CNN

Haiti is about to get a new set of foreign boots on the ground. The goal sounds simple: fight the gangs that have brought life to a standstill. But the violence-wracked nation has been here before and Haitians could be forgiven for wondering whether the outcome this time will be any different. The latest initiative, a UN-backed multi-national effort to be known as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), will in April take over from where its Kenyan-led predecessor – the Multinational Security Support (MSS) – left off. While the year-long Kenyan-led mission ended in what was widely perceived as a failure in October last year, it’s hoped that this time around the force will benefit from a fivefold increase in the number of troops committed – to an expected 5,500 – and what US Ambassador Mike Waltz has called a “strengthened mandate” to go after the gangs. It’s also hoped that the new force will benefit from UN-backed logistical support through a UN Support Office in Haiti and largely avoid the funding shortfalls of its predecessor, which relied almost entirely on voluntary financial contributions from member states. However, questions remain over its make-up and funding. Wh