US Presses for Bigger Haiti Force as Kenyan-Led Mission Nears End

The United States is rallying support for a stronger international force in Haiti as the mandate of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission approaches its expiry on Oct 2, 2025.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington and Panama had worked with Haitian authorities to draft a UN Security Council resolution establishing a larger gang-suppression force and a UN support office for Haiti.

All 32 members of the Organisation of American States have signed a joint statement urging swift passage of the resolution.

The proposal would deploy about 5,500 personnel—more than five times the current MSS strength—with a clearer mandate and predictable funding.

“This effort responds to the call from our partners in Kenya and has the full endorsement of Haiti,” Landau told a high-level meeting on Haiti hosted by Kenya and the United States on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Kenyan President William Ruto warned that without a clear transition, progress achieved under the MSS risked being undone.

Kenya’s President William Ruto with former Haiti PM Ariel Henry in Nairobi. Image: courtesy.

He said the mission has restored order at key facilities, including Port-au-Prince airport, the presidential palace and the main port, reopened schools and hospitals, and cleared gang-controlled roadblocks, but has been hampered by shortfalls in staffing, equipment and logistics.

“The mission has operated at only about 40 percent of its intended strength,” he said.

Ruto called for the successor mission to be fully resourced and mandated, saying it must avoid the “game of guesswork” Kenya experienced.

“If we are serious about solving the matter in Haiti, it must be predictable,” he added.

Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has backed the plan. Council president Laurent Saint-Cyr and Slovenia’s President Nataša Pirc Musar attended Monday’s meeting.

The MSS was authorised by the UN in October 2023 to help the Haitian National Police fight gangs and secure critical infrastructure.

Gang violence has crippled public services and displaced thousands, prompting repeated international appeals for more robust intervention.

The United States and Kenya say a larger, better-funded mission is essential to preserve the gains made and prevent Haiti from sliding back into chaos.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org