Kenya's Ruto open to converting Haiti mission to U.N. peacekeeping operation

22/9/2024 11:52

        Kenyan President William Ruto, on a visit to Haiti, said on Saturday that he was open to Kenya's anti-gang mission in the country being converted to a full U.N. peacekeeping operation.
        
        Ruto visited Haiti to assess the progress of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, where Kenya is playing a leading role to curb rampant gang violence that has ushered years or political chaos and mass displacement.
        
        The mandate of the MSS mission - first approved by the United Nations Security Council for 12 months - is set to expire at the start of October.
        
        Earlier this month Reuters reported that the Council has began considering a draft resolution to extend the MSS mandate and ask the U.N. to plan for it to become a formal peacekeeping mission.
        
        Ruto said on Saturday in Port-au-Prince, "On the suggestion to transit this into a fully U.N. Peacekeeping mission, we have absolutely no problem with it, if that is the direction the U.N. security council wants to take."
        
        The United States and Ecuador circulated a draft text that would renew the MSS mandate for another 12 months and ask the U.N. to begin planning to transition the MSS mission to a U.N. peacekeeping operation.