A group of 143 Haitian soldiers on Friday finished a military training session by the Mexican army as part of a bilateral agreement as Haiti is looking to revive its armed forces amid the escalating violence in the Caribbean nation.

For eight weeks, 15 women and 128 men were part of a basic military training where they practiced personal defense and shooting and learned about human rights. Now they are heading back to their country.

The Haitian government announced in July it was sending soldiers for training as part of a plan to strengthen its security capabilities.

"The skills and knowledge acquired will be fundamental in fostering national development, strengthening the rule of law, and promoting a more peaceful and secure environment in Haiti," said the Haitian ambassador to Mexico, Hubert Labbe.

Since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gangs have increased their presence and it's estimated that they now control around 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Their criminal activities and violence have extended to the countryside.

A Kenya-led multinational force is currently deployed in Haiti, but it has not contained the violence, and there have been some recent proposals to increase the international support.

A few days ago, the United States and Panama urged the U.N. Security Council to authorize a 5,550-member force with the power to detain gang members in Haiti. The plan would be to transform the Kenya-led force into a much larger force.

Haiti’s armed forces were disbanded in 1995 following a coup to oust former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The army was reinstated in 2017 by slain President Moïse after the U.N. ended its peacekeeping operations.

AP Video by Fernanda Pesce