Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti

The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti is an international police force approved by the United Nations Security Council on 2 October 2023 to assist the government of Haiti in restoring law and order amid worsening civil strife and gang violence since 2018.

The mission is led by Kenya and coordinated with the Haitian National Police; though backed by the UNSC, it is not a United Nations operation. Personnel have been pledged by Caribbean Community members Jamaica, Bahamas, Guyana, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Bangladesh, Benin, and Chad. Then-Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua stated that Spain, Senegal and Chile would likely deploy security personnel. The first contingent of the security force arrived in Haiti on 25 June 2024.

Background
Haiti's government collapsed after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, after which the current prime minister, Ariel Henry, assumed power without an election. Henry’s official term ended in early 2022, and he has since postponed elections, governing without a constitutional mandate or any remaining elected officials; on 11 March 2024, Henry announced that he would resign following the creation of a transitional presidential council.

The political impasse has created conditions for escalating gang warfare and a wave of violent crime. Since 2021, the Haitian National Police (HNP) has suffered 100 fatalities and declined by over 7,000 personnel; by the end of 2023, only around 9,000 officers remained on duty for country of over 11 million—in contrast, 36,000 officers serve the 8 million residents of New York City alone. These challenges have been exacerbated by a cholera outbreak, deadly earthquakes, and economic strife, contributing to a broader humanitarian crisis.

Haiti has previously been subject to international policing missions. U.S. troops and U.N. civilian police conducted patrols in the mid-1990s when the HNP was just being established. From 2004 to 2017, the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) undertook broad security duties that included an armed anti-gang campaign; it was replaced by a much smaller police force, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), which concluded in 2019. Both missions were marred by controversies, including allegations of U.N. troops sexually exploiting poor women and being responsible for the cholera outbreak in 2010.

UNSC Resolution 2699
One year after the Haitian government's formal request to the U.N. for international assistance, the United States and Ecuador drafted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699. Adopted on 2 October 2023, the resolution mandates the MSS with helping the HNP counter gangs, restore security, and create conditions for free and fair elections. It also grants the MSS temporary executive policing authority in Haiti, including the powers of detention and arrest. Additionally, the resolution also extended a previous arms embargo. Thirteen members voted in favour, with Russia and China abstaining.

In February 2024, conferences in Brazil and Guyana regarding the mission were followed by additional commitments by various countries; the United States announced it would contribute another $100 million in support of the mission, raising its total pledge to $300 million, while Benin pledged to provide 2,000 soldiers. , Kenya, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, and Chad have formally agreed to provide personnel.

Prior to deployment, the MSS is required to present an operational plan to the U.N. Security Council and create an oversight mechanism to monitor the mission; participating personnel would also be subject to U.N. vetting. Additionally, personnel receiving U.S. support would be subject to U.S. human rights vetting pursuant to the "Leahy Laws".

Preparations
The United States has pledged $200 million to the mission and an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid. Canada announced $123 million to support Haiti, including $80.5 million for the mission. As of March 2024, the U.N. indicated that $78 million had been formally pledged, of which only $10.8 million was deposited, by Canada and France.

On 20 May 2024, Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital of Haiti was reopened after being closed for three months. The US military was flying in supplies and civilian contractors in the preceding weeks to pave a way for the intervention.

On 23 May 2024, in recognition of its willingness to lead the mission, US President Joe Biden announced that Kenya will be granted a Major non-NATO ally status.

Deployment
On 25 June 2024, Kenya's first contingent of 400 elite police officers landed in Port-au-Prince's international airport after months of delay. A second contingent consisting of 200 officers arrived on 16 July.

Haitian response
In a 2023 survey, 70% of Haitians 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 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.

Nou Pap Konplis, a nongovernmental organization, expressed support for the resolution but urged the government to draft a "roadmap" that would avoid the problems of past interventions. Likewise, Ricardo Fleuridor, a leading activist and member of the Petrochallengers grassroots movement, called on U.N. leaders to collaborate with competent Haitians skilled in international politics and diplomacy when establishing a roadmap for the multinational mission. Echoing the concerns of Haitian civil society, human rights experts have advocated additional training and mechanisms to prevent and punish human rights violations, which have historically plagued prior peacekeeping and security missions.

On 17 April 2024, Haitian business leaders released a letter addressed to Kenyan President William Ruto stating that they were "extremely concerned" over the MSS' delay.

United States
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. 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.

Kenya
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.

Kenya's paramilitary General Service Unit may be deployed and some officers are learning French to communicate on the ground.