El President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced on Wednesday that a group of Salvadoran members from an international UN-backed security force were being held hostage by Haitian gangs. Bukele disclosed that a military operation had been initiated to safely rescue the individuals.
The joint efforts of El Salvador’s military and the UN Gang Suppression Force, tasked with assisting Haitian law enforcement in combating powerful gangs, had been hindered by intense fighting in the region where the Salvadorans went missing. Bukele declared the launch of a military rescue operation without elaborating on specific details or identifying the group responsible for holding the Salvadorans captive.
There has been no immediate response from the Gang Suppression Force regarding the situation. The four Salvadorans disappeared after escaping from a burning armored vehicle that was attacked by armed gangs on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince while returning to their base from a market, according to security officials.
Haitian gangs have strengthened their control over the capital and neighboring areas in recent years due to a longstanding political vacuum, widespread extortion, and an influx of illegal weapons primarily from the U.S. Despite efforts from countries like Chad and Sri Lanka participating in the Gang Suppression Force, the mission, currently at a third of its intended size after a year, has shown limited effectiveness in enhancing Haiti’s security.
Bukele clarified that the missing individuals were aviation technicians and not combatants. He emphasized that their role was focused on conducting medical evacuations and saving lives rather than engaging in combat operations.