Six (06) Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers and marines deployed to Haiti on Friday 14 November as part of a new Security Council mandate. Unlike the first two rotations that supported the Haitian National Police through patrols and security assistance, this team joins the United Nations Gang Suppression Force (GSF). This is a combat-focused operation designed to break the grip of armed gangs that now control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince and have displaced 1.3 million Haitians. Commander Defence Force Commodore Floyd Moxey accompanied by Ambassador Jerusa Ali, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs travelled to Haiti with a team which included RBDF Chaplain Apostle Dr. Raymond Wells, Command Staff Officer Captain Glenn McPhee, Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Simms, and Aide-de-Camp Acting Lieutenant Commander Dominique Rigby to get first-hand knowledge of this critical transition and receive the second rotation of RBDF personnel completing their six-month deployment under the previous Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM).
The RBDF team departed for Port-au-Prince, Haiti from Odyssey Aviation. They were seen off by the Prime Minister, the Honourable Philip Davis, KC, MP, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, MP, the Minister of National Security the Hon. Wayne Munroe, K.C., M.P., and the RBDF Executive Leadership.
These deployments fulfil a promise made by Prime Minister the Honourable Philip Davis, KC, MP, in June 2023 when he convened Haitian stakeholders in Kingston, Jamaica, as CARICOM Chair. As he spoke to representatives risking their lives to attend, the Prime Minister invoked Haiti’s revolutionary legacy as the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the first country in the Americas to eliminate slavery, and the only state established by a successful slave revolt. “We cannot, in good conscience, stand by and watch the continued suffering of the Haitian people,” Prime Minister Davis declared. “To do nothing violates every notion of decency, every idea of what it means to be a good neighbour. Failure is not just an absence of success. Failure equals more suffering and death. Failure cannot be an option.”
More than two years later, as gang violence reached unprecedented levels, The Bahamas Government and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force continues to keep that promise. The RBDF’s commitment to Haiti spans more than three decades. Between 1994 and 1996, 141 RBDF personnel served in a United Nations peacekeeping operation. 30 years later, on 18 October, 2024, the first advance team of six marines deployed to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) alongside forces from Kenya, Jamaica, and Belize. That rotation, which included the first female RBDF officer to be deployed internationally, focused on maritime patrols, port security, and helping the Haitian National Police regain access to gang-controlled areas. A second rotation was deployed in May 2025 to continue the MSSM. While both teams accomplished important work, the reality on the ground proved that the gang threat far exceeded the resources and authority given to the MSSM.
In September 2025, the UN Security Council voted to replace the MSSM with a Gang Suppression Force (GSF) that is five times larger and has a fundamentally different mandate. Instead of defensive support, the 5,550-strong GSF will conduct intelligence-led operations to neutralize gangs, protect critical infrastructure under active threats, and work directly with the Haitian National Police and armed forces in offensive operations. Haiti’s Ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council that while the previous mission had been valuable, “the reality on the ground has reminded us that the scale and sophistication of the threat far exceed the mandate initially granted.”
The six RBDF officers and marines deploying today understand that they are entering a different operational theatre than their predecessors. As the MSSM has transitioned to the GSF, the RBDF is prepared to contribute as follows:
• “Ready, willing and able to deploy”
• Any “terms of engagement” must be reasonable and safe,
• The RBDF’s personnel expertise spans several areas:
o Command or Headquarters assistance,
o Administration, Conduct & Discipline
o Logistic
o Training
o Diplomatic
Therefore, RBDF personnel will serve in the Headquarters offering strategic support to the Leadership, but will NOT be deployed in any combat operational function or capacity.
The Bahamas’ continued commitment reflects both strategic interest and moral obligation. When gangs control Haitian ports and territorial waters, illegal migration and drug trafficking threaten the entire Caribbean region. Supporting Haiti’s stabilization directly supports Bahamian security across our archipelago.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force under Commodore Moxey’s leadership, is optimizing excellence by bridging generations and embracing modernization. As such, we are ensuring that our personnel are thoroughly equipped, trained, and prepared for the full range of operational requirements ranging from maritime security to disaster relief to international peacekeeping. As Prime Minister Davis said “We have come here precisely because the task is extremely difficult. Others can resolve the easy things. But a critical responsibility of leadership is to address those issues which are extremely difficult.” The Bahamas continues answering that call.
