December 5, 2025
A high-level multilateral meeting was held on Monday, September 22, 2025, at United Nations headquarters, co-chaired by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Kenyan President William Ruto, and the president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, Laurent Saint-Cyr. Member states—including Canada, China, and the entirety of the OAS—took part and approved the creation of a new, robust gang-suppression force to replace the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, whose mandate expires in October.
Christopher Landau recalled that “Port-au-Prince faces a growing security crisis, notably gangs that terrorize the population,” while stressing that the MSS mission “lacks the mandate and resources needed to meet the expanding challenge.” The United States, together with Panama and Haiti, therefore presented a resolution for a force of more than 5,500 personnel, authorized under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, capable of proactively targeting gangs.
In this context, Washington also announced new sanctions against two Haitian political figures accused of major corruption: Arnel Bélizaire and Antonio Chéramy. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince specified that “they—and their families—are now barred from entering the United States,” adding that their abuse of power has contributed to the country’s instability and sending the message that “the era of impunity in Haiti is over.”
Kenyan President William Ruto, whose country has led the MSS mission since its launch, emphasized the progress achieved despite limited means: “Roads have been reopened, schools and hospitals have resumed operations, and gangs have retreated when confronted.” But he warned that “without a clear mandate, predictable resources, and sufficient logistical support, the gains will be lost and restoring security will become illusory.”
On the Haitian side, Laurent Saint-Cyr expressed the Haitian people’s gratitude to their partners while noting that the situation remains critical. “Despite the bravery of deployed contingents, the MSS mission remains limited in its capacity to act,” he acknowledged, calling for “more personnel, logistical means, and adequate financing to definitively break the firepower of criminal groups.”
The Haitian leader also insisted on the need for continuity between the end of the MSS mission’s mandate and the deployment of the new force. In his view, “such a gap would be fatal for Haiti and would only worsen an already unbearable security crisis.” He reminded participants that twelve million women, men, and children are calling for peace and that their voices cannot be ignored.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to urgent, coordinated action. As Landau underscored, “this crisis can neither be ignored nor postponed,” while Ruto urged the international community to “ensure a responsible transition that protects the Haitian people and secures the progress already achieved.”
