As the Kenyan peace force prepares to leave Haiti, an expert argues that international interventions have consistently failed due to a lack of focus on deep structural issues and corruption. The call is for "Haitian solutions for Haitian problems" to address the root causes of the crisis.

As the Kenyan peace force is set to leave Haiti, Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Rosa Freedman, Professor of Law Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She argues that the crisis in Haiti reflects deep structural failures, not just “gang violence.” She calls the Kenyan mission “a profound failure from the outset” and says “anyone… who understands Haiti knew that this was doomed to failure.” Gangs, she notes, are “not a homogeneous group of criminals” but part of “la...