December 23, 2024
Announced by the Kenyan Presidential Communications Office, President William Ruto arrived in Haiti on Saturday, September 21, to visit his troops.
In the absence of Prime Minister Garry Conille, who is representing Haiti at the 79th Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Ruto was received by Acting Prime Minister Marie D.A. Ketleen Florestal (Minister of Economy and Finance and Minister of Planning and External Cooperation); the President of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), Edgard Leblanc Fils; Police Chief Ramil Normeau; and several advisors.
This visit comes in a context where the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission led by Kenya—deployed in Haiti for nearly three months—has yet to make a significant impact. This so-called support mission to the Haitian National Police (HNP) has not carried out any serious interventions against the regular gang-related devastation in the metropolitan area.
The United Nations recently expressed its intention to transform the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission into a peacekeeping operation, aiming to secure more funding to support the mission.
Dr. Conille has stated that he is considering this possibility, and President Ruto has voiced his support for the potential transformation of the multinational mission, whose mandate is set to expire at the beginning of October.
Upon his arrival in Haiti, President Ruto met with members of the Haitian executive. During his brief stay, which lasted only a few hours, he took the opportunity to pray and sing with his troops.