Prime Minister of Haiti to finalize UN-authorized security mission in Kenya amid ongoing crisis

Haiti.- Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, is set to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, next week to finalize details for the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorized by the UN to help stabilize the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation. The announcement came from the prime minister’s office in a statement on Sunday, without specifying the exact date of the visit. The visit will follow Henry’s participation in the Ordinary Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), occurring from this Sunday to next Wednesday in Georgetown, Guyana.

The Caricom meeting agenda includes discussions on the involvement of Caribbean countries in the deployment of the multinational mission. The UN Security Council authorized this mission in 2023, responding to Henry’s request in October 2022 to address the armed gangs controlling 80% of the capital.

The international force will be led by the Government of Kenya, but the deployment has faced delays due to legal challenges in Kenyan courts. In 2023, Haiti witnessed a grim scenario with 4,789 murders, 1,698 injuries, and 2,490 kidnappings, resulting in a homicide rate of 40.9 per 100,000, double the previous year and one of the highest globally, according to UN data.