UN Security Council extends Kenya-led mission in Haiti

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Monday to extend the mandate of the Kenya-led multinational force aimed at combating gang violence in Haiti. However, the Council dismissed Haiti’s call to initiate talks on transforming the mission into a UN peacekeeping operation.

The resolution, which passed with a 15-0 vote, came after China and Russia succeeded in removing a provision that would have acknowledged Haiti’s request for a peacekeeping force. The request was made by Edgard Leblanc Fils, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, during last week’s UN General Assembly session. This was the first formal support for a UN peacekeeping mission since the United States proposed the idea in early September.

Currently, nearly 400 Kenyan officers are deployed in Haiti, alongside two dozen police officers and soldiers from Jamaica. However, this is well below the 2,500 officers pledged by countries such as Chad, Benin, Bangladesh, and Barbados. The mission also faces significant funding shortages.