Kenya’s President William Ruto has emphasized the need to resolve the situation in Haiti, despite the challenges facing the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). Speaking at the High-Level meeting on Haiti during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto acknowledged the significant logistics and resource hurdles that the MSS is encountering.
The mission, established by a UN Security Council resolution on October 2, 2023, has seen the deployment of fewer than 1,000 personnel, primarily from Kenya, as of June 2025. This falls short of the planned 2,500 troops for the UN-backed mission. Ruto expressed gratitude to the United States for its efforts in providing transportation but noted that the condition of the equipment provided was sometimes poor, with many vehicles being second-hand and prone to breaking down.
The breakdowns, Ruto said, posed a significant danger to the personnel, especially in dangerous areas. The United States, on the other hand, has reaffirmed its call for a scaled-up Gang Suppression Force (GSF) with a broader mandate to restore security in Haiti. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that the proposal has received the support of all 32 members of the Organization of American States, a rare instance of unanimous agreement.
The proposed GSF would consist of over 5,500 personnel, more than five times the size of the current MSS mission. With the mandate of the MSS set to expire on October 2, concerns about gang violence in Haiti remain pressing. Despite the challenges, Ruto’s statement underscores the importance of finding a solution to the situation in Haiti, emphasizing that it “can and must be solved.”
The logistics, transport, and support challenges facing the MSS are significant, and Ruto warned that if these issues remain unpredictable, future missions may suffer similar setbacks. As the international community continues to grapple with the situation in Haiti, the need for a effective and sustainable solution is becoming increasingly urgent. The upcoming expiration of the MSS mandate and the proposed expansion of the GSF are likely to be key factors in determining the course of events in Haiti in the coming months.
