On March 1, 2024, Kenya and Haiti signed an agreement in response to a request from the Kenyan courts to allow the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to head a multinational UN mission to handle the security situation in Haiti.
Following the signing ceremony at the offices of the Kenyan Presidency in Nairobi, President William Ruto of Kenya declared in a statement that “Today, March 1, 2021, I am pleased to report that (Haitian) Prime Minister Ariel Henry and I have witnessed the signing of this instrument.” Ruto underlined the need of quick deployment, saying, “Peace in Haiti is good for the world as a whole.”
- Advertisement -
Following Prime Minister Henry’s trip to Nairobi to attend the VI United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) held in the Kenyan capital, and to complete arrangements for the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) in Haiti, the announcement was made.
The inked agreement resolves the court’s concerns over the Kenyan National Security Council’s power to command foreign agents, overcoming an obstacle put forth by the a month ago, the Kenyan High Court banned the deployment. The court determined that mutual understanding between the host government was necessary for deployment.
Following this court ruling, a Haitian team met with American and Kenyan officials in Washington to arrange MMAS’s presence in Haiti. They specifically discussed the memorandum of understanding between Kenya and Haiti to guarantee compliance with the laws of both nations.
The deployment of the operation was earlier authorized by the Kenyan Parliament and Government in response to the UN Security Council’s October 2023 authorization, notwithstanding initial court-issued restrictions. The goal of the mission is to assist the Haitian National Police in combating armed gangs that hold sway over a large area of Port-au-Prince.
The expedition, which was spearheaded by Kenya and backed by Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda, and Benin, was hampered by the ongoing delays caused by interference from Kenyan courts. Due to the sluggish funding, which has come mostly from the US, Canada, and France, the UN set up a trust fund to receive further donations from interested nations.
The UN released startling numbers for 2023 that highlighted the dire state of Haiti’s security: 4,789 murders, 1,698 injuries, and 2,490 kidnappings. With a murder rate that quadrupled from the previous year to 40.9 per 100,000, Haiti now has one of the worst rates in the world.
In Port-au-Prince, armed gang shootings in the city and surrounding areas have left at least twenty people injured, underscoring the critical need for the UN mission.
