NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 3 – A United Nations report has revealed that members of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti were implicated in four substantiated cases of rape, including allegations involving a 12-year-old girl.According to the 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.”The report lists four victims aged 12, 16, 16, and 18 years, all of whom were reportedly subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse involving personnel from the mission deployed to combat gang violence in Haiti.While the mission is not formally a UN peacekeeping operation, it was authorized by the UN Security Council in 2023 and is largely composed of police officers from Kenya and other contributing nations.According to the findings, all four allegations were marked as “violation corroborated.” However, most of the cases have “pending” status in terms of disciplinary or legal action taken. In the case involving the 12-year-old victim, the report notes that an internal investigation was conducted by the mission itself, though no further details were provided.The Kenya-led force began deploying personnel to Haiti in June 2024 and is currently in the process of winding down its operations.The report did not provide detailed descriptions of the incidents but confirmed that the allegations were referred to mission leadership for investigation and action.UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the issue has been flagged for follow-up with the new anti-gang force now taking shape in Haiti, stressing the importance of stronger safeguards to prevent and address sexual exploitation and abuse.The OHCHR report further emphasized that as new international security deployments continue in Haiti, robust accountability mechanisms must be established 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 emerge against the backdrop of longstanding concerns over sexual exploitation in Haiti involving foreign security personnel, including previous UN peacekeeping missions, which faced similar accusations before concluding operations in 2017.In response to past abuses, the United Nations has adopted measures such as publicly reporting 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 report findings.