United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of German national Daniela Kroslak as Under-Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH /BANUH), a new structure created to coordinate international assistance in a country grappling with endemic violence and a deep political crisis.
This appointment comes at a critical moment for Haiti, where armed gangs control large swaths of territory, including the capital Port-au-Prince and the departments of Artibonite and Centre. According to a recent UN report, at least 26 criminal organizations are active there, tightening their grip on the population day by day.
Daniela Kroslak, a recognized expert in peace operations, brings more than 25 years of experience in political affairs, mission leadership, and managing fragile transition contexts. Her career, described by the UN as “remarkable” in strategic leadership and mediation, has led her to hold key positions in some of the most complex missions in recent years.
She served as the principal facilitator of the review of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in 2025, after leading the independent review of staffing at the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) in 2024. Previously, she served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General within the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), until its dissolution in December 2023.
From 2020 to 2022, she was Deputy Head of Mission for the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) in Yemen. She also served as Chief of Staff for the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), an experience that gives her direct knowledge of Haiti’s challenges.
A polyglot, Ms. Kroslak speaks fluent English and French in addition to her native German, and has working knowledge of Arabic, Slovak, and Russian. She holds a doctorate in international politics from Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom.
Established by the UN Security Council in 2025, the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (BANUH) is mandated to provide logistical, technical, and administrative support to the Gang Repression Force (FRG). This force, composed of 5,500 soldiers and police officers, was authorized by the Security Council but does not constitute a traditional peacekeeping mission. It operates autonomously, with its own chain of command.
The FRG is essentially the expanded version of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which was previously led by Kenya. While the Kenyan police officers currently deployed under the former model are gradually withdrawing, new contingents from other countries are expected to bolster the force.
An uncertain international deployment
According to Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez, the UN-backed force is expected to reach its full capacity of 5,500 personnel by October. Among the anticipated new contributions, Chad has announced its intention to deploy 800 police officers and gendarmes to Haiti this year. A senior Chadian police official told Reuters that these forces are expected to arrive by June, after receiving training from European and American partners.
However, discrepancies remain regarding the location of this training. While the Dominican minister stated that the Chadian forces were being trained in the United States, a State Department spokesperson denied this information, stating: “Chadian troops are not training in the United States.”
Chad had initially expressed its readiness to provide troops to the UN in October 2023, without specifying numbers or a timeline. Other countries, such as Benin and Bangladesh, had also made pledges of contribution, but no deployments have yet taken place to date.
The appointment of Daniela Kroslak comes as Haiti faces one of the most complex crises in its recent history. Insecurity, described by the UN as “alarming,” is compounded by a severe humanitarian situation and a deep political crisis, marked by the absence of presidential elections for a decade and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
https://ctninfo.com/un-appoints-peace-operations-expert-to-head-its-support-office-in-haiti-a-new-chapter-in-the-fight-against-gangs/
https://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanNewsMedia
