ANALYSIS: What will happen to Kenyan-led police mission in Haiti?

In October 2023, the United Nations Security Council authorised a Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti, after a request for assistance by the country’s government and civil society representatives.

Led by Kenya, the 12-month international police service mission aims to help Haitian police restore law and order amid worsening civil strife and gang violence that has plagued the country since 2018.

The Caribbean island nation saw a dramatic surge in homicides, kidnappings and sexual violence throughout 2023. Between January and May this year, gang violence killed around 3,000 people and left over half a million homeless. Widespread destruction of property and displacement have weakened governance and public security. An estimated 80 per cent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is under gang control, and violence has spread to various parts of the country.

Kenya deployed 400 of its pledged 1,000 police officers in June and July this year. President William Ruto says the remaining 600 are undergoing training and will join soon. The Kenyan contingent forms 40 per cent of the mission’s 2,500 personnel from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica. Jamaica recently sent 20 soldiers and four police out of its 200 pledged personnel.

Amid these deployments, however, the United States and Ecuador have proposed replacing the Kenya-led mission with a more traditional UN-led peacekeeping operation. This followed United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Haiti on 4 September. While the US still backs the existing mission, its proposal is untimely. It could negatively affect the mission’s performance and lower morale among the personnel already deployed in Haiti, who will be in limbo during the transition.

The mission is unique in the history of international peace operations, which are typically staffed mainly by soldiers and deployed to help manage and resolve armed conflicts. Haiti’s persistent governance problems and escalating gang violence need a form of global intervention that fills the security vacuum by emphasising policing rather than a military approach.

Kenyan police officers from various specialised units underwent rigorous training on anti-gang operations, community-oriented policing and combatting illicit trafficking. The training aligned with UN standards and required Kenya to make a substantial investment in time and resources to plan and coordinate the deployment.

The mission was received in Haiti with a mix of hope and cynicism. Between 2004-17, the UN peacekeeping operation in the country was marred by allegations of sexual assault and the introduction of cholera, which killed nearly 10,000 people. As a result, perceptions and expectations of Kenya’s police have been mixed.

Since Kenyan police arrived in the country, frustrations among Haitians have grown due to the perceived slow progress against gangsterism. The first deployment came eight months after the UN Security Council gave Kenya the go-ahead to lead the mission. The main reasons for the delay were the financial and logistical arrangements required for this complex undertaking.

While the mission has seen some gains, internal and external challenges have made preparing for the large international operation difficult.

Internally, Kenya’s police experience in international peacekeeping, such as in Somalia, Bosnia, South Sudan and East Timor, primarily involves deploying individual police officers. The Haiti mission is its first deployment of cohesive police units, which requires specialised training and preparations.

In addition to logistical and administrative hurdles in mobilising and training the police, Kenya faced legal and political obstacles. A court case challenging the deployment’s legality on constitutional and procedural grounds caused delays. Public protests in mid-2024 over domestic issues and security threats intensified the debate over whether resources for the Haiti mission could be better used to address Kenya’s own needs.

External factors also delayed deployments. Many logistical and financial arrangements are still outstanding, and preparations in Haiti to receive the remaining police officers haven’t yet been completed, sources told ISS Today. The slow construction of barracks, for example, is holding up the deployment of Kenya’s remaining 600 police officers. Communication barriers with Haiti’s French-speaking community have also created difficulties.

All this means the mission is close to ending its initial one-year period without an effective presence or achievements – possibly contributing to the US and Ecuador’s proposal to replace it. The UN Security Council is expected to decide on the mission’s future at the beginning of October. Anonymous sources believe the mission could be extended until 30 June 2025, and then transformed into a UN peacekeeping mission between July and September next year.

Financing is undoubtedly the driving factor for the proposal. The mission was designed to receive voluntary contributions from states of $600 million annually. However, only $85 million has been pledged so far, mainly by the US and Canada. Mr Blinken said a UN peacekeeping force was an option to address the Kenya-led mission’s funding problems, which stem from its dependence on voluntary contributions.

Another factor behind the US-Ecuador proposal could be the mismatch between Haitian expectations and Kenyan police activities on the ground. With only 400 police deployed in the country, it’s not surprising that public expectations for a swift resolution to the gang violence crisis have not been met.

The mission’s success will depend on Kenya’s ability to adapt to Haiti’s conditions and coordinate with international and local stakeholders, especially on the issues of funding and the deployment of additional personnel. But the proposal to replace the mission will make that hard.

Before deciding, the UN Security Council should reflect on the failure of its previous peacekeeping operations in Haiti. Rather than replacing the Kenya-led mission, the UN should strengthen this important initiative by addressing the financial gaps from its special funds.

It should also call for the urgent deployment of all 2,500 police officers. Providing the mission with its full capacity is vital to rebuilding local trust and addressing Haitians’ immediate needs.

Emmaculate A Liaga, Researcher and Meressa K Dessu, Senior Researcher and Training Coordinator, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).