President William Ruto held a telephone conversation on Thursday evening with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, during which the two leaders discussed several issues touching on regional and international security.
The key issues discussed included the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti. On the peacekeeping mission, Guterres expressed the UN’s continued support for the Kenyan contingent in the Caribbean nation.
The UN Secretary-General acknowledged Kenya’s leadership role and commended the MSS peacekeepers for their steadfast commitment to the shared goal of restoring stability in Haiti.
Guterres and Ruto’s talks on the Haiti mission come barely three days after two Kenyan police officers suffered injuries during an anti-gang operation in the Caribbean nation.
The mission, aimed at dismantling gangs and restoring security for Haiti to hold elections by February 2026, has faced several issues from the beginning, and uncertainty looms about its possible success amid escalating gang violence.
It suffered its first casualty in February this year, and the death of another Kenyan officer was reported last week after a gang ambush in the Lower Artibonite region, 92 kilometers north of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Kenya first deployed its officers to the war-torn Caribbean nation in June last year as part of the MSS peacekeeping mission, which currently has around 1,000 security personnel, including those from other contributing countries.
During the phone conversation, the Head of State also briefed Guterres on Kenya’s ongoing efforts to advance peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
President Ruto highlighted the outcomes of the recent joint East African Community–Southern African Development Community summit, which was built on previous initiatives and endorsed a clear roadmap with immediate, medium, and long-term actions.
“I called on the UN to support the joint EAC-SADC regional efforts in implementing the roadmap for peace in eastern DRC,” President Ruto revealed.
He went on to add, “We reaffirmed our shared commitment to regional peace, security, and sustainable conflict resolution, emphasising the importance of continued collaboration between the United Nations and regional initiatives.”
On the same evening, Ruto also held a separate phone conversation with Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, during which the two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting regional peace and stability for the mutual benefit of the two nations.
The discussion underscored the importance of coordinated efforts in addressing common security challenges, including the fight against terrorism, which threatens both regional and global peace.
