The Kenyan mission implicated in 4 cases of sexual abuse and exploitation in Haïti

These cases, deemed “substantiated” following an investigation conducted by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), were referred to the force’s command for appropriate action, according to a UN report obtained by AyiboPost

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Four cases of sexual exploitation and abuse involving members of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) were documented in Haiti in 2025.

These cases, deemed “substantiated” following an investigation conducted by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), were referred to the force’s command for appropriate action, according to a UN report obtained by AyiboPost.

In an email to AyiboPost, Marta Hurtado Gomez, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner’s Office, clarified that the force deployed in Haiti is not a UN mission. She noted that it is the responsibility of the mission and the concerned states to take the necessary measures to sanction those responsible for abuses, assist victims, and guarantee them access to justice.

These violations joins a long pattern of impunity.

In previous missions, hundreds of UN peacekeepers involved in similar abuses in Haiti were never brought to justice.

This recurrence is alarming, especially as the first Chadian troops have just joined the gang suppression force (GSF), which was also approved by the United Nations.

AyiboPost has learned from a source close to the mission of at least one allegation of sexual violence reported in 2025.

Fritznel Pierre, a member of the MSS steering committee responsible for overseeing human rights compliance, said the case involved a young Haitian girl and a member of the mission.

“It was indeed confirmed, based on the information I had,” Pierre said, adding that he was not in a position to provide further details about the circumstances of the case or the status of the proceedings within the mission.

In September 2025, the MSS spokesperson had described as “rumor” and “propaganda” an allegation of rape reported in the Artibonite department, during an interview with Radio Télé Kiskeya.

AyiboPost does not know whether the case confirmed by Fritznel Pierre corresponds to the one reported in Artibonite.

According to the High Commissioner’s report dated February 2026, the incidents documented in 2025 led to assistance being provided to victims in Haiti through a dedicated special fund.

No communication from the mission makes it possible to trace these cases.

Read also : What are Kenyans waiting for to act against bandits?

Jack Ombaka, spokesperson for the multinational force, did not respond to AyiboPost’s request for comment before the publication of this article.

In its report, the High Commissioner’s Office states that the MSS-GSF has set up a reporting mechanism with the support of civil society organizations. AyiboPost was unable to confirm the existence of this mechanism.

Authorized by the United Nations, the MSS and the GSF are not UN forces.

This status means that the UN does not intervene in sanction or reparations mechanisms in cases of human rights violations, according to explanations provided to AyiboPost by the spokesperson for the High Commissioner’s Office.

For cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, “the MSS-GSF is responsible for conducting a preliminary investigation and taking measures against the alleged perpetrators,” Gomez said. These measures may include “suspension and/or repatriation pending further investigation, as well as initial assistance to victims.”

It is unclear whether the ongoing repatriation of Kenyan forces is part of the application of this measure.

An incident involving the MSS had already been the subject of an internal investigation within the force last year.

In August, the multinational mission announced the death of a Kenyan officer and a Haitian citizen in an accident involving two of their armored vehicles on the road to Kenscoff.

However, an AyiboPost investigation established that two Haitian civilians had in fact been killed.

Contacted by AyiboPost, one of the bereaved families said it had gone deeply into debt to organize the funeral, without any support from the MSS or the Haitian state.

A source within the mission had confirmed the opening of an investigation to determine the level of involvement of the agents and the follow-up to be provided to the families. AyiboPost has been unable to obtain any update on the progress of this investigation.

Read also : Haitian Family Bankrupted by Kenyan Mission Tragedy

Around the world, the recurrence of acts of sexual exploitation and abuse reported during peacekeeping operations—most often left unpunished—raises questions about the United Nations’ ability to prevent and punish such crimes.

As early as 2008, concerned by information pointing to alleged criminal offenses, the institution emphasized that the absence of investigations and prosecutions could give the impression that its personnel in the field operated with impunity, and stressed the importance of acting to protect victims’ rights.

In 2014, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (deployed from 2004 to 2017) and MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo each recorded thirteen allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, together accounting for 51% of all cases reported across UN missions.

In Haiti, MINUSTAH soldiers left behind “hundreds” of children born to Haitian girls and women, without support, according to a study.

According to an internal UN report obtained by the Associated Press, at least 134 Sri Lankan UN soldiers exploited nine children in a prostitution ring in Haiti between 2004 and 2007.

While 114 of the peacekeepers were repatriated, the outlet reported, none were imprisoned.

These cases add to the introduction of cholera in Haiti, which infected around one million people and killed thousands.

By : Jérôme Wendy Norestyl et Wethzer Piercin

Cover | Source : Courrier International