PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti says it has made major strides in restoring order in the gang-plagued Caribbean nation, even as violence continues to take a heavy toll.
MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka told reporters on Wednesday that the force — deployed in June 2024 and led by Kenya in coordination with the Haitian National Police (HNP) — has helped reclaim key facilities and train hundreds of new police recruits in Port-au-Prince, the epicenter of Haiti’s crisis.
“For the first time, the Haitian National Police service were able to train approximately 730 new recruits that passed out last year and are now in the field fighting the gangs,” Ombaka said, adding that the academy has admitted a fresh intake this week under the protection of the mission.
The UN-backed operation was authorized by the Security Council in October 2023 after years of spiraling unrest, which worsened following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
The killing left a political vacuum that gangs quickly exploited, plunging the country deeper into lawlessness.
Kenya currently has about 600 officers serving under the mission. Ombaka said they have secured the Haitian police director general’s headquarters — once under gang control — and reopened critical highways that had been blocked.
“The roads are opening… and this is due to the resilience of the police officers, especially from Kenya,” he said.
He acknowledged that locals were initially skeptical. “When we came here, the Haitians were not even sure that we were going to stay here for one minute, but fortunately we were able to hold the ground and repel the gangs,” Ombaka said.
Still, the mission faces daunting challenges. More than 4,000 people have been killed since its deployment, including members of the Kenyan contingent.
Haiti’s police service, already overstretched, has lost about 100 officers since 2021 and now counts fewer than 9,000 active members for a population of 11 million.
The crisis deepened after interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry extended his rule without elections, losing constitutional legitimacy in 2022.
His repeated calls for international intervention culminated in the formation of the MSS, billed as Haiti’s best chance to curb gang violence.
Ombaka said the mission has also embarked on renovations at critical installations to restore public confidence.
“All these efforts are designed to ensure that Haitians see change and feel secure again,” he said.
