WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States has praised the “extraordinary” role being played by Kenya in “trying to help stabilise Haiti,” where criminal gangs are seeking to overthrow the interim government in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Kenya has contributed the most troops to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorised by the UN Security Council in October 2023.
Despite an international embargo, arms and ammunition continued to be smuggled into the country. Allowing the gangs to extend their control to new territories, with the United Nations saying that their actions have led to the murders of thousands of people and the displacement of thousands more, mainly women.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a signing ceremony for a health framework with Kenya, described the African country as “one of our strongest partners in so many different fields, whether it’s the fight that we’ve fought together against terrorism on the continent, but beyond that, and in our own hemisphere.
“Kenya’s played an extraordinary role, a really heroic role in trying to help stabilize Haiti – it’s a tough situation,” he told the ceremony attended by President William Ruto of Kenya.
“They’ve carried a huge burden as a country for the better part of two years now, and had it not been for the role they played, what we are hoping to do next in Haiti would have been impossible, which is to transition to a gang suppression force.”
On September 30, this year, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2793 to authorise a new, more robust Gang Suppression Force (GSF) for Haiti. This force, which replaces the MSS mission, is mandated to conduct active counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter armed groups.
The GSF has an initial 12-month mandate with explicit authority to use “all necessary measures,” including lethal force, to carry out its operations while strictly adhering to international law. Its objectives include securing critical infrastructure, facilitating humanitarian aid access, and supporting conditions for elections.
It has an authorised personnel ceiling of 5,550 individuals, including 5,500 uniformed personnel. The UN resolution also called for the establishment of a UN Support Office in Haiti to provide logistical and operational support, such as food, fuel, medical care, and transportation, which the previous mission lacked.
Rubio told the ceremony that the United States is “going to be very involved in helping bridge that” transition from the MSS to the GSF.
“And we want them, and we hope to encourage them to continue to be engaged moving forward as we move into this new phase of trying to bring stability to Haiti, but we understand and believe they cannot do it by themselves”.
Rubio said he was using the occasion here “to continue to encourage countries in the region and around the world to step up and contribute and be a part of this effort.
“We need their money, we need their funds, and we need their personnel as well to make this work. If we had five or 10 countries willing to step forward and do just half of what Kenya has already done, it would be an extraordinary achievement.
“And we hope that that will happen. It needs to happen. If we’re serious about it, it needs to happen. Everybody loves holding press conferences and issuing statements about how terrible the situation in Haiti is.
“It’s time to do something about it. And I particularly point to the countries in our hemisphere, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Caribbean Basin and beyond, that we need to step up in this hemisphere and do more. The United States will continue to do its part, but I just wanted to express, again, our gratitude,” he told the ceremony.
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