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Overview:
Haiti’s Kenya-led security mission faces funding gaps, equipment shortages and incomplete troop deployment as gangs retain control. With its mandate set to expire in October, U.S.-backed efforts at the UN could shift the force to a peacekeeping model. Officials remain hopeful but warn that delays threaten progress.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The future of Haiti’s Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) may be decided in October, when its mandate expires and the United Nations could approve a U.S.-backed plan to shift the force into a UN-funded peacekeeping model. Mission officials say the change could resolve persistent funding gaps, equipment shortages and troop delays that have hampered efforts to curb gang violence.
“Greater clarity is expected in October, when the MSS mandate will either be renewed or adapted under a new model,” Ombaka told The Haitian Times.
“The key will be to ensure that this model is properly funded, consistently resourced, and capable of effectively responding to evolving needs on the ground.”
The United States plans to present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to secure funding for the mission, which aims to reduce gang control over neighborhoods and areas of Haiti’s strategic resources. The text supports UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ proposal to finance the mission’s logistical and operational needs through the peacekeeping budget, making it more effective and sustainable.
Besides legal and logistical hurdles, the funding shortfall of the multinational mission has been the most persistent issue since the UN Security Council approved the resolution authorizing its deployment on Oct. 2, 2023.
Since its launch, the MSS has struggled with underfunding. Its initial annual cost was estimated at $600 million—with more than half of that coming from the U.S. While the Biden administration provided $300 million and the Trump administration $40 million, the UN-managed trust fund has raised only $112.5 million, mostly from Canada.
Despite this support, the mission, which took nearly a year before the first contingent arrived in Haiti, remains under-equipped, lacking forward operating bases and far below the full 2,500 troops originally promised.
“Greater clarity is expected in October, when the MSS mandate will either be renewed or adapted under a new model. The key will be to ensure that this model is properly funded, consistently resourced, and capable of effectively responding to evolving needs on the ground.”
Jack Ombaka, MSS spokesperson
“The threat posed by gangs seeking to overthrow the state must be countered,” said U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Kimberly Penland, confirming Washington’s resolution plans.
“Kenya is thanked for its support at a critical moment, helping to prevent the total collapse of the Haitian state,” Ambassador Penland added.
She spoke Aug. 20 during an OAS Permanent Council meeting, where Secretary-General Albert Ramdin presented a $2.6 billion roadmap for Haiti. The plan allocates over $1.3 billion to security, with the remainder aimed at political consensus, democratic governance, elections and humanitarian aid.
Weak results on the ground, Haiti turns to private security firms
Despite its presence alongside the Haitian National Police (PNH), the MSS has yet to secure any territory or help arrest a notorious gang leader.
Neighborhoods such as Solino, Delmas 30 and Pacot in Port-au-Prince, Kenscoff in the West Department, and provincial towns like Mirebalais, Saut-d’Eau and La Chapelle remain under gang control. In Artibonite, despite Kenyan deployment, attacks continue, killing at least three multinational force officers and injuring others.
Reports of the Kenyan contingent’s “rotations” fueled speculation that Nairobi might withdraw altogether. However, Ombaka clarified that the rotations are not immediate and are routine, not a pullout. “For Kenya, there is no urgency to carry out a rotation at this stage,” he said, stressing that the contingent “remains fully committed to the fight against gangs.”
Kenya pledged 1,000 officers, of which 800 are already deployed. The final 200 will arrive once armored vehicles and heavy equipment are in place, Ombaka said.
“Other contributing countries will carry out their deployments based on their own availability. The force commander remains optimistic about the arrival of new contingents in the near future,” the MSS spokesperson added.
As the multinational force faces challenges to deliver, the Haitian government is increasingly turning to foreign private security companies. However, Haitians have yet to notice any progress on the ground.
Erik Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of Blackwater Worldwide — the contractor whose members killed 17 civilians in Iraq in 2007 — told Reuters on Aug. 14 he has a 10-year contract with Haiti through his new firm Vectus Global. The deal, he said, covers gang-fighting and tax collection along the Dominican border.
Former Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) president Fritz Alphonse Jean said in an interview with international reporters before swapping positions with Laurent Saint-Cyr that he was unaware of the contract. However, he confirmed Haiti had indeed hired a foreign firm to bolster security. He criticized the MSS for not understanding the full scope of Haiti’s violence and accused some parts of the private sector of fueling gangs.
A New York Times investigation revealed Blackwater personnel had been operating in Haiti since March, coordinating drone surveillance with a task force led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. Prince told Reuters his firm plans to deploy fighters from the United States, Europe and El Salvador, along with boats and sniper teams.
“For me, one of the main indicators of success will be being able to travel from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien in a light vehicle without being stopped by gangs,” Prince said.
Civilian and human rights groups raise alarms
Several organizations are pressing the Haitian government for transparency. In May, human rights groups Fondation Je Klere (FJKL) and the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) warned that national security cannot depend on foreign contractors indefinitely.
CARDH criticized the authorities’ silence about Prince’s revelations, raising concerns about a possible violation of the Haitian people’s right to self-determination.
In a letter to the prime minister on August 19, CARDH urged authorities to disclose the details of any security contracts, ensure compliance with the Constitution and guarantee coordination with both the PNH and MSS.
“The use of Vectus Global can assist in many targeted operations, provided there is proper coordination between the firm, the public force, and the MSS according to a comprehensive security plan with defined tactical, strategic, and capacity-building objectives,” CARDH said. “Otherwise, significant amounts of money will be spent without sustainably addressing the problem.”