Kenya and Haiti conclude agreement for UN-Led security mission deployment

Nairobi.- Kenya and Haiti sealed an agreement on Friday, responding to the Kenyan courts’ request, to enable the dispatch of 1,000 Kenyan police officers leading a multinational United Nations mission aimed at addressing the security crisis in Haiti.

Kenyan President William Ruto, in a statement following the signing ceremony at the Kenyan Presidency’s headquarters in Nairobi, announced, “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 emphasized the importance of accelerating deployment, stating, “peace in Haiti is good for the world as a whole.”

The announcement came after Prime Minister Henry’s visit to Nairobi to finalize details regarding the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) in Haiti and attend the VI United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) hosted in the Kenyan capital.

Overcoming a hurdle presented by the Kenyan High Court a month ago, which prohibited the deployment, the signed agreement addresses the court’s concerns about the Kenyan National Security Council’s authority to command foreign agents. The court ruled that deployment required a reciprocal agreement with the host government.

Following this court decision, a Haitian delegation engaged in meetings in Washington with U.S. and Kenyan authorities to plan MMAS’s arrival in Haiti, focusing on the memorandum of understanding between Kenya and Haiti to ensure alignment with both countries’ legislation.

Despite initial court-issued blocking orders, the Kenyan Parliament and Government had previously approved the mission’s deployment in response to the UN Security Council’s authorization in October 2023. The mission aims to support the Haitian National Police in tackling armed gangs that control a significant portion of Port-au-Prince.

However, delays persisted as the Kenyan courts interfered, hampering the mission led by Kenya and supported by Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Benin. Funding, primarily from the United States, Canada, and France, has been slow, prompting the UN to establish a trust fund for additional contributions from interested countries.

Highlighting the severity of the security situation in Haiti, the UN reported alarming statistics for 2023, including 4,789 murders, 1,698 injuries, and 2,490 kidnappings. The homicide rate, at 40.9 per 100,000, doubled from the previous year, making Haiti’s situation one of the highest in the world.

Recent events underscore the urgent need for the UN mission, with at least twenty people injured in a violent escalation in Port-au-Prince marked by armed gang shootings in the capital and its vicinity on Thursday.

Source: EFE