This week, a foreign contingent made its way to Haiti. What transpired?

This week, a foreign contingent is scheduled to land in Haiti. What transpired?

Recently, important encounters took place on Thursday, indicating high anticipations. In Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council shared photos from their meeting with a delegation from Kenya. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto held a joint press conference, celebrating their shared efforts on a project mainly funded by the US.

Peace and stability in Haiti were described as a "joint duty of all countries" by Ruto, who vowed that Kenya would "shoulder this responsibility alongside the Haitian police" and "crush the power of gangs and criminals." However, these criminal groups continue to wreak havoc in Port-au-Prince by demanding payment from residents and controlling the transportation of essential elements like fuel, food, and medical supplies.

On Thursday night, a young American missionary couple was attacked at a church in the city and subsequently murdered, according to their relatives.

Who are the Haitian Gangs?

At first established as enforcers for Haiti's political and economic elite, Haiti's rival gangs have come together recently under the banner "Viv Ansamn," or "Live together," to launch assaults on government establishments, such as police stations and prisons.

Haiti's National Police are engaged in street battles against the gangs and suffer from a deficit of both manpower and equipment. Following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021, the gangs' influence has grown from an estimated 50% of the city to 80% at present.

Government officials in Haiti liken the urban warfare to quicksand, asserting that they need reinforcements to protect and hold their territory.

The situation is further complicated due to a flow of weapons and ammunition undermining the arms embargo in Haiti.

Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken justified America's support for the multinational operation, warning a US Senate hearing that if Haiti isn't provided with international support, it risks becoming a fully-fledged failed state.

What is the Multinational Security Support mission?

Haiti's government has requested international military aid since 2022. In October, the United Nations Security Council lastly authorized the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).

Its objective is to partner closely with the Haitian National Police, striving to secure the city's airport, seaport, and significant roads.

Kenya, which volunteered to direct the mission, committed 1,000 police officers. These forces are chosen for their expertise in dealing with armed non-state actors, like Al Shabaab, and experience in conducting operations in foreign settings, including those in Somalia, Sudan, and Congo, as Bill O'Neill, a UN human rights expert in Haiti, pointed out. The MSS will be led by a Kenyan police commissioner and a Jamaican police lieutenant, while other crucial roles will be filled by Kenyan personnel. Also, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica have pledged to send personnel for this mission.

Despite allowing the MSS seven months ago, implementation has been hampered by legal issues in Kenya and turmoil in Haiti. In March, a surge of gang violence led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry shortly after reaching an agreement with Kenya for the deployment. Ruto's administration later found another ally in Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, established last month.

During the press conference, Kenyan journalist Ayub Abdikadir from Citizen TV asked Ruto about the strategy of sending troops to a crisis in the distant Caribbean while Kenya's own security issues persist in its North Rift region. "Why are you committing to Kenya when we have a problem back home?" he inquired.

Ruto argued that Kenya's role stretched beyond its own borders, noting that the country had already dispatched troops and police to "resolve the banditry issue" in the North Rift.

At present, a trust fund for the mission orchestrated by the UN provides $21 million, gathered by Canada ($8.7 million), the USA($6 million), France ($3.2 million), and Spain ($3 million). The USA and Canada have also pledged additional resources, which will likely appear as equipment and other supplies.

Why has the MSS still not commenced? (A shortage of medical evacuation helicopters)

According to the documents viewed by CNN, May 23 had initially been set as the date for the initial deployment of 200 Kenyan police officers. As many as a few dozen Jamaican officers were expected to reach Haiti by mid-June, with further troops scheduled to enter throughout the summer.

Within the past week, a Kenyan delegation journeyed to Port-au-Prince to assess whether facilities were prepared to accommodate the deployment.

A MSS base near Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince is nearing completion, featuring a medical center and a trauma specialist currently stationed on-site. However, the delegation identified a lack of helicopters for medical evacuations as a significant hurdle, with multiple sources revealing uncertainties regarding which nation would provide them. Despite multiple requests, the Kenyan government failed to provide a comment to CNN.

Some papers exposed that El Salvador might be considered as a possible supplier of air evacuation helicopters, yet El Salvador's Vice President, Felix Ulloa, dismissed this idea as improbable. In a conversation with CNN, Ulloa stated that they would like to contribute to finding a solution, but they would require a definite order from the United Nations and the acceptance of the host country. He also mentioned that El Salvador could potentially deliver its highly skilled helicopter pilots and specialists to steer aerial operations for the MSS if they're requested.

More provisions, such as armored vehicles and radios, will be availed in Haiti for the MSS in the approaching days and weeks.

So, what's next?

Professionals on the scene hold that the Haitian government has further responsibilities to set up the foundation for the mission, especially in interacting with the public — even the criminal groups —regarding the working processes of the MSS.

A person acquainted with handling Haiti's gangs suggested that the Transitional Presidential Council should devise communication to the gangs themselves about probable "exits" from direct clashes with the MSS, potentially via acknowledgment or other nonviolent approaches.

Meanwhile, the Haitian police union, SPNH17, asserted that the plans on their partnership with the international mission were unsatisfactorily discernible and inquired about the lack of emphasis on offering support to the national police.

"What we witness is the global community working with specific sectors with no evident plans for their operations and procedures. We've no clarity on how we'll correspond with the Kenyan police who speak English. We speak French and Creole in Haiti," the union stated. "We trust that the Haitian police are the one who can ensure long-term safety for Haiti. What we need are resources and logistical assistance."

Haitian anti-corruption group Nou Pap Dòmi (NPD) mirrored the concern over transparency, emphasizing the necessity of having explicit systems of responsibility for the foreign forces' activities in Haiti.

"Though NPD supports overseas assistance to address the crisis, we've consistently argued for a strategy that prioritizes reinforcing the Haitian National Police to tackle these issues with a lasting impact," the group entreated CNN.

With the ongoing uncertainties during the week about the MSS's timeline, NPD expressed, "The Kenyan initiative remains a secret to the Haitian populace; no one knows its details and there's been no communication about it, despite the arrival of several US military aircraft in Haiti."