El Salvador has sent over 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to aid operations to find four of their troops who went missing during an attack.
The soldiers went missing on 18 October after their armoured vehicle was attacked while they were returning to their base from a market on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince. The four were part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and were supporting anti-armed gang operations.
El Salvador’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday the additional force has been sent as part of an international operation with multiple nations and global organisations. “El Salvador will continue with the operational deployment of over two thousand soldiers to save the four Salvadoran soldiers.”
The additional soldiers will join existing forces in Haiti carrying out the search for the four soldiers in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac region close to Port-au-Prince. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele also spoke via telephone on Wednesday with Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé discussing the search.
Despite what El Salvador says is the aim of the operation, which is to find the missing soldiers, there are concerns around how large the operation is and who is in charge. The United Nations have indicated most of the El Salvadorian troops sent are not part of the GSF meaning they are not within the UN mission remit.
Haiti has faced widespread gang violence recently with armed groups taking control of large parts of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Wilson Joseph, a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has written a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres asking to hold talks and for the UN to mediate.
While the UN have confirmed they received the letter, they made clear this does not mean they recognise the author or agree with their demands. “We remain committed to supporting efforts to restore security and stability in Haiti. All security operations must be conducted in accordance with international law,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
Joseph is asking to hold talks with the UN amid increasing clashes between armed gangs and security forces. The status of the missing Salvadorian soldiers is not confirmed.
