Kenya’s Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary, Dr. Korir Sing’Oei, has addressed potential concerns regarding the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) to Haiti, especially if US President-Elect Donald Trump decides to withdraw.
Sing’Oei reassured that the MSSM aligns with Trump’s stance on immigration, dispelling fears of the mission’s discontinuation. He explained that stabilizing countries from which immigrants originate is key to addressing migration issues.
“The MSS aims to create the conditions necessary for the flourishing of Haitian society, which in turn addresses the issue of illegal immigration at its source. We don’t see a misalignment with Trump’s immigration strategy,” Sing’Oei stated.
The PS clarified that the MSSM’s presence in Haiti is based on a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution, which received the full endorsement of the UN council.
Sing’Oei emphasized that the US, as a UN Security Council member, cannot unilaterally halt the mission’s progress due to a change in leadership.
“One cannot say that merely because there’s going to be a change of guard in the US that the MSS will not be supported,” Sing’Oei remarked.
Sing’Oei also revealed that discussions are underway for a new resolution to transition the MSSM from its current Trust Fund financing to a direct UN Peacekeeping force. This shift would allow the mission to draw resources from regular contributions from all UN member countries.
“The Trust Fund mechanism was intended as a temporary measure to establish security, with plans for a full transition to a UN mission,” Sing’Oei added.
The PS addressed the government’s Ksh.2.1 billion expenditure on the Haiti mission, explaining that it is standard for countries to pay upfront in peacekeeping operations, similar to Kenya’s previous involvement in the DRC. He emphasized that the mission is financed through a Trust Fund and that countries’ contributions are refunded.
“This is the normal practice. The resources will certainly be reimbursed to Kenya. The financing mechanism for it is through a trust fund which enables countries to make contributions. It is just that the resources are never available at the get go and yet the deployment has to take place,” Sing’Oei explained.
