OAS countries support a future and renewed security mission in Haiti

Washington.- The 32 members of the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed this Wednesday their support for a renewed security mission for Haiti to replace the current one, whose mandate expires next October.

In a joint statement, they expressed their support for the proposal being debated in the UN Security Council to transform the current Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) into a Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with an enhanced mandate.

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“We support the establishment of a UN Support Office for Haiti (UNSOH) and the transition of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) towards a new force focused on establishing a secure and stable environment, enabling the Haitian authorities to restore and maintain the rule of law, including through the dismantling of gangs,” they declared.

They also encouraged “voluntary contributions to the UN Trust Fund to support the new force that the Security Council will establish.”

The MSS is an initiative requested by the Haitian authorities, led by Kenya, financially backed by the United States, and approved in 2023 by the United Nations Security Council.

The mission, which was activated in 2024, seeks to support the security forces of the island nation in their fight against armed gangs, which control 90% of the capital and other areas of the country, but has not achieved remarkable results.

The MSS is made up of about 1,000 troops, most of them from Kenya, whose president, Wiliam Ruto, warned on Sunday that the mandate of this force will expire next October and asked the UN Security Council to “guide a responsible transition”.

According to UN data, Haiti recorded a 24% increase in intentional homicides in the first six months of the year, reaching a total of 4,026 murders.

Furthermore, gang violence has caused the internal displacement of approximately 1.3 million people.