Meanwhile in Haiti

TLDR
The Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission has started in Haiti to help regain control from gangs and prepare for elections. Despite opposition and concerns over transparency, the mission aims to support the Haitian National Police, secure infrastructure, and facilitate humanitarian aid. Haiti has faced escalating gang violence since President Moïse's assassination, severely impacting humanitarian efforts. The mission's success depends on addressing funding issues, ensuring accountability, and coordinating effectively with Haitian authorities and aid organizations. Protecting children from gang recruitment is a crucial priority amidst the ongoing crisis.
 
The New Humanitarian reports on the commencement and implications of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti. Approved by the UN in October, the mission aims to help Haiti regain control from gangs and pave the way for elections, facing opposition from Kenya, the United States, and Haiti due to historical abuses by foreign interventions. Despite this, the first group of Kenyan police arrived in Port-au-Prince in June 2024.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has experienced unprecedented gang violence, severely hampering humanitarian aid efforts. The interim government, led by Prime Minister Garry Conille, is tasked with stabilizing the country amidst escalating violence and collapsing infrastructure. Gang control over critical roads and facilities has made aid delivery nearly impossible, contributing to acute food insecurity and daily life marked by kidnappings, rapes, and looting.

The MSS mission's mandate includes supporting the Haitian National Police (PNH) in combating gangs, securing infrastructure, and facilitating humanitarian aid. However, the mission's funding, transparency, and rules of engagement still need to be clarified. Unlike traditional UN peacekeeping operations, this mission raises questions about its effectiveness and coordination. Concerns about language barriers, political instability, and the potential for increased violence complicate the mission's objectives.

Humanitarian organizations fear that the MSS mission could provoke more violence, hindering aid delivery and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Ensuring accountability for potential abuses by the MSS is critical, given the history of foreign intervention abuses in Haiti and the Kenyan police's record of misconduct. Protecting children from gang recruitment is a high priority, with many children already caught in the cycle of violence.

The mission's success hinges on addressing these challenges, ensuring transparency, and effectively coordinating with Haitian authorities and humanitarian organizations. The international community's role in supporting Haiti through this mission is pivotal as the nation strives for stability and democratic governance amidst one of the world's most intractable humanitarian crises.

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