Kenyan President Ruto visits Haiti amid challenges to international mission, announces additional police deployment

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Kenyan President William Ruto announced Saturday that an additional 600 police officers will be deployed between October and November, increasing his country’s share of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti to 1,000, in line with initial promises, in a move aimed at strengthening the Haitian National Police (PNH) in its fight against gang violence.

During his visit to Haiti, the first by a Kenyan president in the history of relations between the two countries, Ruto praised the efforts of the 400 Kenyan police officers stationed in Haiti and discussed with the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) the need for more personnel and equipment.

“Your success will not be just the success of the national police; it will be the success of the people of Haiti and the success of all people who believe in stability, dignity and democracy,” the Kenyan president told his officers, expressing confidence that they will be able to help restore peace to Haiti.

Edgar Gardy Leblanc Fils, president of the CPT, welcomed Ruto at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The visit follows the first deployment of the Kenyan police three months ago as part of an international mission.

During a joint press conference with Leblanc, Ruto expressed positive views on the cooperation between the Kenyan police and the Haitian forces, particularly in securing the capital’s port and the National Police Academy in Pétion-Ville. Leblanc, for his part, stressed the need to increase the number of personnel and equipment to strengthen the operation and enable the Haitian state to sustainably manage its own security in the long term.

Ruto also addressed the need for greater United Nations involvement, pledging to share insights on the situation in Haiti with the UN General Assembly. He acknowledged the challenges but reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to helping bring peace to Haiti.

Mission Challenges and International Response

Despite the progress of the international mission, it faces significant challenges, including delays in deployment and a lack of promised equipment and funding. During a recent visit to Haiti, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested transforming the mission into a UN operation to secure the necessary funds and facilitate its success. The MSS currently consists of 426 personnel, including 400 Kenyan police, 24 Jamaican police and soldiers, and two Belizean soldiers.

In a recent interview with Agence France Presse (AFP), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was highly critical of the slow financial response by member states, stressing the urgent need for funding to support the security crisis in Haiti. Only six countries have contributed to the UN fund for the mission, with the largest donors being Canada and the United States.

“When there is a war, there is always money. When there is a financial crisis and banks need to be bailed out, there is always money. When people are suffering in such a desperate situation, and only a relatively small amount of money is needed to set up a small force in Haiti, it is completely unacceptable that there is no money,” Guterres said.

So far, only six countries have provided funds for the non-UN mission, which was created about a year ago by a UN Security Council resolution. The donors are Canada, with $45 million in cash; the United States, with $15 million; France, with $3 million; Italy, with $360,000; and Turkey, with $50,000.

In light of the problem, Blinken reiterated that the U.N. must transform the mission to better meet its goals. He signaled U.S. plans to anchor a ministerial meeting at the 79th U.N. General Assembly, to be held in New York from Sept. 10 to 28, to encourage further contributions and renew the mission’s mandate.

“Your success will not only be a success for the national police; it will be a success for the people of Haiti and a success for all people who believe in stability, dignity and democracy.”

William Ruto, President of Kenya

President Ruto did not oppose the conversion of the Kenya-le mission into a UN peacekeeping operation if the UN Security Council decides to do so. He reiterated that Kenya’s mandate is to support the Haitian police, not to lead a military mission.

Ongoing security concerns

Despite concerted efforts, the security situation in Haiti remains precarious. In August, the PNH, supported by Kenyan officers, launched an anti-gang operation in several areas of Port-au-Prince, but no tangible results have been observed or reported.

President Ruto’s visit ahead of his participation in the 79th UN General Assembly, which is hosting more than 100 world leaders, underscores international commitment to addressing Haiti’s security challenges. But major obstacles remain as the mission seeks to stabilize the country.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, who oversees the joint operations, continues to promise results and urges Haitians to be patient. But concerns about holding elections amid ongoing insecurity, despite the presence of international security forces, persist.

The Haitian government took the first steps toward organizing elections on Wednesday, establishing the long-awaited Transitional Electoral Council (CEP). But skepticism remains about the feasibility of elections in the current climate.

“What will this CEP be used for?” asked Reginald Dumé, leader of the Petrochallengers group.

“To hold elections, we first need to ensure security,” he said.

“There is no signal on the ground that suggests the country will experience any relief on security issues anytime soon. And 100 days after Conille took office, nothing has changed.”

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