The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti is a multinational force approved by the United Nations Security Council resolution 2699 on 2 October 2023 to assist the government of Haiti to restore law and order.^[1]

It will be led by Kenya and will coordinate with the Haitian National Police. Caribbean Community members Jamaica, Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda will take part in the mission. Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said that Spain, Senegal and Chile may also deploy their security personnel.^[2]

Kenya's paramilitary General Service Unit may be deployed and some officers are learning French language to communicate on the ground. The United States has pledged $100 million in funding^[2] and $100 million in enabling support.^[3]

Local response

The organization "Nou Pap Konplis" has acknowledged the adoption of resolution 2699 on October 2, 2023, during a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding the dispatch of a multinational force to Haiti. They believe that this resolution is a step in the right direction.

In a 2023 survey, 70% of the Haitian public said they favor the deployment of an international armed force to fight the gangs, as authorized by the United Nations. The majority of respondents, 57%, said they do not think a coalition of civil society organizations that have come together under the name Montana Accord — an agreement for governing Haiti named after the Petionville hotel where it was signed — can solve the security crisis either. A total number of 1,597 Haitians were surveyed across Haiti’s 10 regional departments and the margin of error is below 3%. The poll was commissioned by the Haiti Health Network, a group of medical organizations in the country.^[4]

However, the "Petrochalenger" organization reminds United Nations members through BINUH that Haitians have a deeply unfavorable memory of the last international force deployed in Haiti.

"They do not wish to relive the painful past of the blue helmets from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Tragically, this mission introduced cholera, leading to an epidemic that resulted in more than 10,000 deaths. Additionally, there were various cases of sexual abuse and theft," Nou Pap Konplis emphasized.

To avoid repeating past mistakes, the organization, with Ricardo Fleuridor as its spokesperson, urges current leaders to collaborate with competent Haitians skilled in international politics and diplomacy when establishing a roadmap for the multinational mission.

72 hours after the resolution concerning the multinational mission was voted upon, the authorities in Port-au-Prince have yet to comment on how the foreign force members will interact with the agents of the national police and the soldiers of the Haitian armed forces.^[5]

US involvement

As the United Nations sanctions an independent Kenya-led multinational mission to the tumultuous nation of Haiti, Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s chief diplomat to the Organisation of American States (OAS), has probed the role of the US in the endeavor. While the US State Department has committed to providing $100 million in foreign assistance and the Department of Defense is willing to offer up to $100 million in supporting measures, Sir Ronald Sanders underscores a deeper historical connection. Speaking to Observer media, he observed, “If you look at the culprits for the people who are really responsible for Haiti’s underdevelopment and its condition—the United States of America has been significant—and yet the focus seems to be on the Caribbean in sending troops when the US, which has been responsible for the plight in which Haiti finds itself for over a century, has not pledged any troops.” Many historians link Haiti's prolonged underdevelopment with the deliberate efforts of the United States in the 19th century to economically ostracize and impoverish the once-wealthy island. Following Haiti’s emancipation from France via a slave-led revolution, the fledgling nation was coerced into certain financial obligations with the US. Sanders further emphasized, “All the Americans want to do is put up money for other people to go, and that is a fundamental question that I think needs to be asked: why are they not doing it? Why are they looking to the Caribbean to do it? Why are they looking to Africa? Is this suddenly a Black problem?” As discussions about the Haitian mission proceed, Sanders calls for a more active role by the US, challenging the emphasis on monetary contributions over direct involvement. ^[6]

Kenya response

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu asserts that Kenya's leadership in the UN-backed mission in Haiti will bolster its global reputation as a dependable partner. Highlighting Kenya's peacekeeping history, she believes that the mission provides advanced training for Kenyan police and brings financial benefits, with countries like the US committing significant funds. Rather than combat, Kenyan officers will secure key infrastructures in Haiti. Nyamu emphasizes Kenya's commitment to global collaboration and Haiti's stabilization. ^[7]

Troop pledges

Country	Personnel pledged
Antigua and Barbuda	TBD[8]
Guyana	TBD
Grenada	TBD
Saint Lucia	TBD
Dominica	TBD
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	TBD
Jamaica	TBD
Kenya	1,000
Suriname	TBD[9]
The Bahamas	150[10]

See also

• Haitian crisis (2018–present)
• Gang war in Haiti

References

External links

• Kenya’s Haiti Mission: Financial Gains or Genuine Empathy?