Chad will deploy 1,500 troops to Haiti to help combat gang violence

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Chad will deploy 1,500 troops to Haiti as part of the United Nations security force to the Caribbean country to combat gang violence, according to a letter from the president to the legislature.

In the letter read out to lawmakers of the Central African country on Monday, Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno said two battalions of 750 troops each will be deployed from this month for one year, following a request by the United Nations.

“A contingent of 400 men has already been sent to Haiti as part of this mission that honors Chad and its defense and security forces,” the president said.

Last year, the U.N. Security Council approved the expansion of the Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti to 5,500 troops, called the Gang Suppression Force, and expanded its power to include arresting suspected gang members, which the previous force did not have.

The previous mission, launched in 2023, was envisioned to include 2,500 personnel and was led by the Kenyan police, but it was handicapped by a lack of staff and funds.

Deadly gangs control as much as 90% of Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, and swaths of land in the country’s central region. In 2021, a squad of gunmen assassinated the country's former president, Jovenel Moïse, in his home.

At least 30 people were killed and dozens more were missing, human rights groups said, after the Gran Grif gang launched a renewed attack on the town of Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, in central Haiti, last month.

FILE - Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno participates in his inauguration ceremony in N'djamena, Chad, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mouta Ali, File)

Workers ride in a cargo truck transporting cement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Vehicles crowd an intersection in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Karren Brady, the most powerful female executive in English soccer, has stepped down from her position as vice-chair at West Ham to focus on other business interests and her role in the House of Lords.

The 57-year-old Brady previously worked as a director at Birmingham City, starting in the early 1990s, as part of a long association with the club’s then-owner, David Sullivan.

They then worked together at West Ham, where Sullivan is the majority owner and Brady has been vice-chair since 2010. She was instrumental in securing the club’s move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016 and is regarded as influential in the world of Premier League shareholders that is largely dominated by men.

Brady has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014, when she was given the title of baroness, and also works on popular TV series The Apprentice.

In a statement, West Ham said she would be focusing in those roles as well as “mentoring and leadership initiatives” as part of her broader business interests.

“While this chapter closes, my passion for football and commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders remains undiminished,” said Brady, who is married to former Canada soccer player Paul Peschisolido.

“I wish West Ham United every success for the future and look forward to following their continued achievements with pride.”

West Ham joint-chair Daniel Křetínský described Brady as “very highly appreciated in the Premier League leadership community and was an excellent representative of our club there.”

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FILE - West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady, left, waits for the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at the London Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)