Even still, a Nairobi court prevented the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) from being sent to Haiti last week. Kenyan President William Ruto announced this week that his country is proceeding with its intentions to head a UN-approved security mission to Haiti following an Italian-African summit in Rome.
The mission was halted when a Kenyan court declared that the decision was unlawful, unconstitutional, and invalid because it violated both the Constitution and the law. The court also added, “without a reciprocity agreement with the government host,” to further alleviate the blockage.
Speaking to Reuters, President Ruto expressed his hope that a bilateral agreement would soon be reached to meet the court’s requests, noting that Haiti had requested assistance months prior.
If all procedures between Kenya and Haiti are carried out under the bilateral path recommended by the Court, then this expedition might happen as early as next week, according to Ruto.
In response to a question about whether negotiations were taking place with Haiti to get the required enforcement, Ruto acknowledged that they were, emphasizing that this was a police, not military, mission.