New leader of UN-backed force arrives in Haiti with Chadian advance team

A new leader of the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) arrived in Haiti on Wednesday together with an advance deployment of troops from the Central African nation of Chad, the GSF said in a statement on social media.



Jack Christofides, a South African U.N. official who has overseen various peacekeeping operations in Africa, was appointed as Special Representative of the GSF late last year.



The GSF did not say how many people were in the advance team, nor if Kenyan forces already on the ground would begin to withdraw as previously reported.

Neither the GSF nor Haiti's national police immediately responded to requests for comment.



Christofides was tasked to work with the GSF's Force Commander Godfrey Otunge to develop a strategic plan, oversee accountability, coordinate with donors and partners and keep the U.N. Security Council abreast of developments.