This booklet critically revisits the rationale and performance of UN peace operations regarding the use of coercive force for stabilization purposes in dealing with armed non-state actors. Haiti is selected as an extreme case study to examine this paradox, given the long track record of UN peace operations in the country, their current challenges and future prospects for effectively dealing with the urban criminal gangs operating in Port-au-Prince, which are keeping the country on the brink of state collapse.