NEW YORK, USA, September 30, 2025 – The United Nations Security Council will vote on Tuesday on whether to strengthen a UN-backed security mission in Haiti into a full-fledged force that includes troops.
Currently, only 1,000 police officers, most of them from Kenya, are deployed under the Multinational Security Mission (MSS). The officers were sent to support Haiti’s overwhelmed police in tackling violent gangs.
The mission, first approved in 2023, has delivered mixed results and now faces calls for expansion.
Humanitarian Crisis in Haiti
“Haiti is a country at war, a contemporary Guernica, a human tragedy on America’s doorstep,” said Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council, during a UN address.
He described neighborhoods destroyed by gunfire, fires, and fear. More than one million Haitians have been forced into internal displacement, losing homes, businesses, and livelihoods.
Saint-Cyr has endorsed a US and Panamanian proposal to transform the MSS into a stronger force for at least one year.
Proposed New Mandate
The proposal envisions a force of up to 5,500 uniformed personnel. Unlike the MSS, which consists only of law enforcement, the new mandate would include both police and military troops.
Kenya’s President William Ruto backed the expansion last week, saying that “with the right personnel, adequate resources, appropriate equipment, and necessary logistics, Haiti’s security can be restored.”
The plan also includes establishing a UN support office to provide logistics and financial assistance, an idea first suggested by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
For more on Kenya’s role in global security, see sauce.co.ke’s world section.
US Pushes for Action
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the expanded mandate would give the force the authority to proactively target gangs.
“This would restore security to Haiti while ensuring the mission has the right tools to succeed,” he told the Security Council last week, according to Reuters.
He also warned that despite majority support, “some might try to prevent its adoption or slow down our response.”
Global Politics at Play
The fate of Tuesday’s vote remains uncertain. China and Russia, both permanent Security Council members with veto power, have expressed skepticism.
China previously questioned the MSS’s effectiveness without a clear political transition in Haiti. Russia has also raised doubts. Both countries abstained in earlier votes.
According to diplomatic sources cited by the BBC, their final positions on this resolution remain unclear.
Haiti’s Deepening Crisis
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long suffered from violent criminal gangs involved in murders, rapes, looting, and kidnappings. Chronic political instability has worsened the situation.
Conditions deteriorated further in early 2024, when gangs forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. The country has not held elections since 2016 and is now governed by a Transitional Presidential Council.
Analysts warn that without stronger international support, Haiti risks sliding deeper into lawlessness.
