Kenya police in Haiti./FILE
But Kenya is not among the countries that have
pledged their personnel.
It is not clear why Kenya has not made a pledge as
other countries which insiders said include Bangladesh, Chad, Burundi and some
Caribbean ones pledged their troops in hundreds.
This could mean the current team of 700 police
officers in Port-au-Prince will leave Haiti next year if not considered.
Insiders said Kenya has demanded they be let to
continue commanding the new Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
“If Kenya is not allowed to lead the GSF then they have no
business being in Haiti,” said an official aware of the developments.
The U.N. Security Council agreed at the end of September 2025 to
more than double the size
of a 15-month-old, underfunded and understaffed international security mission
combating armed gangs in Haiti and rename it a gang suppression force.
"We were looking for 5,500 forces. We already have pledges
of up to 7,500 forces from a variety of countries. We've seen donors step up
to fund that effort," Rubio told reporters.
Gangs - largely armed with illicit weapons from the U.S. - have
seized almost all of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince in a conflict that has
forced 1.3 million people from their homes, and fueled hunger. UNICEF said in
August that children make up an estimated 50% of gang members in the Caribbean
country.
The U.S. and Canada hosted a closed-door pledging conference for
the gang suppression force at the United Nations on December 9, 2025.
They said in a statement that 18 entities had pledged personnel,
resources and technical support.
The initial, Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission
deployed in Haiti in June 2024 but has struggled to make headway in curbing
violent armed gangs - some of which Washington has designated as terrorist
organizations.
The first team arrived amid surging violence and has
so far stabilized parts of the capital city.
Many credit their arrival for the stability being
experienced in the Caribbean country.
Had they not arrived and taken positions, the
criminal gangs could be in charge of Port-au-Prince, officials say.
Key achievements
of the mission include enhanced stability in Haiti, restored freedom of
movement, the reopening of key road networks, and significant progress in
training the Haitian Police, authorities said.
On December 4, Rubio
praised the role the Kenyan team has played in stabilizing the country.
