El Salvador's President Denies Report on Missing Soldiers in Haiti

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has publicly contradicted a report that the bodies of four of his country's soldiers, who were ambushed in Haiti, had been recovered. The statement adds to the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the peacekeepers, who went missing after a violent attack near Port-au-Prince last week.

Conflicting Reports Emerge

In a post on the social media platform X, Bukele stated, "They are not our men," directly refuting an earlier report from The New York Times which claimed the bodies were believed to be those of the missing Salvadoran troops. The president said the four bodies handed over to Salvadoran forces on Saturday included a child, a man significantly taller than the missing soldiers, and a soldier from another country.

To support his claim, Bukele shared images of an identification card belonging to a soldier from Chad, according to Reuters. The four Salvadoran soldiers went missing on the previous Sunday after their armored vehicle was attacked and set on fire while they were returning to their base.

First Major Attack on Security Mission

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The ambush marks the first major attack on the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a UN-authorized multinational mission that began operations in Haiti this year. No group has officially claimed responsibility, though local media have linked the incident to powerful armed gangs in the area, including Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo.

Earlier in the week, Bukele asserted that the four missing men were being held by gangs and that El Salvador had initiated a military operation to secure their return. The international security mission has declined to comment on the matter.

Implications for Haiti's Stability

The incident underscores the significant operational risks facing the international effort to stabilize Haiti. The GSF is currently operating with about 2,000 troops, well below its authorized strength of 5,500. The security situation in the country has deteriorated sharply since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, with gangs controlling large parts of the capital and displacing an estimated 1.4 million to 1.5 million people. This high-profile attack on international forces could complicate efforts to secure additional personnel and funding for the mission.