Haiti remains in the grip of a devastating gang crisis, with 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince, under gang control following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Gang violence has claimed 5,000 lives in 2024 alone, pushing the country to the brink of collapse.
The Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS)
In response to the escalating violence, the UN Security Council authorized the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in October 2023. Deployed six months ago with 400 officers, the Kenyan contingent aims to restore law and order.
On a patrol through downtown Port-au-Prince, Kenyan officers traverse desolate streets where burnt-out cars and makeshift barricades signal gang dominance. The convoy comes under fire as it maneuvers through the war-torn city, with gunfire exchanged for nearly an hour before resuming the patrol.
The grim aftermath of gang violence is a constant. A human body burns on a street—an apparent warning from a rival gang. Despite their training, Kenyan officers face exhaustion, vastly outnumbered by an estimated 12,000 armed gang members in the city.
Challenges and Delayed Reinforcements
The mission’s leadership, including Commander Godfrey Otunge, remains optimistic, citing overwhelming support from the Haitian population. Yet, the promised reinforcements—a force of 2,500—have been delayed, leaving Kenyan officers under-resourced. The arrival of additional personnel, expected by year-end, will bring the contingent to 1,000.
The scale of the challenge is evident. Gangs such as Gran Ravine, led by the notorious Renel Destina (alias Ti Lapli), control vast swathes of the city. They engage in kidnappings, extortion, and brutal violence, exacerbating the country’s economic and social collapse.
Haiti’s Spiraling Crisis
As many as 100 gangs operate in the Port-au-Prince area, with recruitment of children surging by 70% in a year. Schools have been repurposed as shelters for 700,000 residents displaced by the violence.
One displaced mother, Negociant, recounts her desperate plight. Forced to flee her home, she now resides with her five children on a school balcony, having been driven from multiple neighborhoods by gang invasions.
A Humanitarian and Security Imperative
Kenyan forces continue their mission amid dire circumstances, striving to secure the city and reclaim areas under gang control. However, without broader international support and reinforcements, the uphill battle against Haiti’s entrenched gang violence remains daunting.
