Members of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti have been implicated in four cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, including allegations involving a 12-year-old girl.

According to a United Nations report on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the cases were investigated and corroborated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 

The incidents were classified under “Non-United Nations force,” as the MSS mission is not a formal UN peacekeeping operation.

The report lists four victims aged 12, 16, 16, and 18 years, all of whom were reportedly subjected to abuse involving personnel deployed to Haiti to combat gang violence. 

All the four allegations were marked as “violation corroborated,” although most cases remain pending in terms of disciplinary or legal action.

In the case involving the 12-year-old, the report indicates that an internal investigation was conducted by the mission, but no further details were disclosed.

The Kenya-led force, which was authorised by the United Nations Security Council in 2023, began deploying personnel in June 2024 and is currently in the process of winding down operations. The mission is largely composed of police officers drawn from Kenya alongside personnel from other countries.

A spokesperson for the United Nations, Stéphane Dujarric, said the issue has been flagged for follow-up with the new anti-gang force now taking shape in Haiti, stressing the need for stronger safeguards to prevent and address sexual exploitation and abuse.

OHCHR spokesperson Marta Hurtado Gomez said responsibility for further action rests with the force’s leadership and contributing countries. She noted that the operation, now referred to as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), falls outside formal UN structures.

The report highlighted the need for robust accountability mechanisms as new international security deployments continue in Haiti, including systems to investigate and publicly report human rights violations.

“These safeguards and mechanisms will strengthen the effectiveness of the new force’s operations,” the report stated.

The allegations come amid longstanding concerns over sexual exploitation by foreign security personnel in Haiti, including previous UN peacekeeping missions that faced similar accusations before concluding operations in 2017.

In response to past abuses, the UN has introduced measures such as publicly naming troop-contributing countries and establishing a trust fund to support victims.

The Kenya-led mission has not yet issued a detailed public response to the latest findings.

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