Kenya-led security mission in Haiti extended as U.S. abandons plan to turn it into UN mission

PORT-AU-PRINCE— The UN Security Council unanimously voted Monday to extend the mandate of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti for another year. Originally set to expire on Oct. 2, 2024, the extension will allow the MSS to continue supporting Haiti’s National Police (PNH) in combating gangs and restoring security. While backing the extension, the United States withdrew its proposal to transform the mission into a full UN peacekeeping operation due to opposition from China and Russia.

“Today’s unanimous renewal sends a strong message to the people of Haiti: the world stands with you,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The renewal of the MSS comes at a critical time. The mission currently deploys just 407 personnel in the Haitian capital, far fewer than the planned 2,500 police and military members. Additionally, the mission is severely underfunded and ill-equipped. While the U.S. has provided nearly $300 million in equipment and supplies, the UN trust fund established to collect voluntary contributions from member states for the mission has only received $67 million, short of the $84 million target.

According to UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, contributors include Canada ($45 million), the U.S. ($15 million), France and Spain ($3 million each), Italy ($360,000), and Turkey ($50,000). The total annual cost of the MSS is projected to be around $600 million, leading to frustrations from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the slow financial support for the mission.

Meanwhile, the Haitian government continues to struggle with ongoing insecurity, with gangs controlling major parts of Port-au-Prince and disrupting efforts to restore order, including securing key facilities like the State University of Haiti and the capital’s port.

The state of international contributions and deployments

Some countries have committed additional troops amid the mission’s ongoing financial and personnel shortages. Guatemala announced plans to deploy 150 soldiers, while Guinea has offered 650 police and military officers. However, deployment dates and details remain unclear.

“We are committed to peacekeeping efforts and will send 650 officers to support stabilization in Haiti,” said Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah at the UN General Assembly on Sep. 28.

Due to the MSS’ existing challenges, the U.S. had proposed transforming it into a UN mission to secure more stable funding and resources. Still, the plan was dropped after China and Russia threatened to veto the resolution, according to  Reuters. Russia argued that the MSS should be given more time to establish itself before any transformation into a UN operation is considered.

In contrast, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) expressed support for the idea of a UN mission. The CPT President Edgard Leblanc called on the UN to take responsibility and help rebuild Haiti’s future by converting the MSS into a peacekeeping operation.

“It is never too late to act rightly and learn from past mistakes,” Leblanc said during his speech at the UN General Assembly last week.

The troubled history of UN missions in Haiti

The prospect of transforming the MSS into a UN mission is met with mixed feelings in Haiti. Attorney Brian Concannon, executive director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), noted that many Haitians are wary of UN missions due to past abuses by peacekeepers during the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) era, which left behind a devastating cholera epidemic and multiple sexual abuse scandals.

Concannon emphasized that any future mission should include mechanisms to hold peacekeepers accountable for abuses, which is lacking with the current Kenya-led mission.

“The United States may be seeking more funding and a peacekeeping force with better experience,” Concannon said. “But many Haitians are questioning what tangible results can come from another UN mission after the failures of MINUSTAH.”

Concannon also pointed out that, to date, no victims of MINUSTAH’s abuses have received justice or reparations from the UN.

Despite the setbacks, the U.S. remains committed to advocating for the transformation of the MSS into a UN peacekeeping mission in the future. “Going forward, we must heed the calls from the Haitian government to transform the Mission into a UN peacekeeping operation,” wrote Thomas-Greenfield.

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