Kenyan-led force hits back after report states that nearly 20 officers have resigned from the force due to unpaid wages.
A United Nations-backed security mission to Haiti, led by Kenyan forces, has denied reports that some of its officers have gone months without pay.
In a statement on Friday, the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti (MSS) said that it “categorically refutes” reports that officers have not had their wages paid for three months.
“All MSS personnel have received their salaries, including monthly allowances, and no MSS officer has tendered their resignation as alleged,” the statement reads.
“MSS officers remain highly motivated and fully committed to supporting the Haitian National Police [HNP] in conducting decisive operations aimed at dismantling gang networks and restoring stability.”
The allegations of unpaid wages come as the MSS struggles to make an impact on conditions in Haiti, where armed gangs have unleashed a wave of violence, wreaking havoc on civilian life and destabilising the country.
The UN estimates as much as 85 percent of the capital of Port-au-Prince has fallen under gang control. More than 700,000 people are displaced across Haiti as a result of the violence.
The news agency Reuters reported in an exclusive story on Friday that nearly 20 Kenyan officers have resigned from the MSS over delays in pay and poor working conditions, citing three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In its statement, MSS said that Reuters did not contact the mission for comment before publication, but a spokesperson for the news agency has said that Reuters stands by the story.
The mission, already heavily scrutinised due to the poor track record of foreign interventions in Haiti, has made little headway since arriving in the Caribbean island nation in June.
Difficulties related to funding have been present from the start. While originally envisioned as a policing mission staffed by 2,500 personnel, Kenya has sent only about 400 officers since June.
Questions have also emerged around the stability of funding from the United States, the primary financial supporter for the mission.
While the administration of US President Joe Biden has promoted the Kenyan-led effort, it is unclear whether that support will continue in 2025, when Biden is replaced by President-elect Donald Trump.
In response to the lack of funding, officials from the US and elsewhere have pushed for the UN to launch a peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
But a previous UN peacekeeping mission to the country ended in 2017 amid outcry over its role in re-introducing cholera to the country and allegations of sexual assault.
Security in Haiti has worsened since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. But even with the presence of the Kenyan force, gang violence has continued to climb, and the country continues to struggle to establish stable governance.
Haiti has not held federal elections in years, a fact the gangs have seized upon to claim legitimacy.
In addition, last month, a transitional council tasked with restoring democracy to Haiti fired interim Prime Minister Garry Conille after only six months in the post. The move spurred further questions about corruption in the transitional government – and the future of Haiti’s leadership.
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