Kenya Bolsters UN-Backed Haiti Mission with Additional Officers
Nairobi, October 14, 2024 – Kenya plans to deploy an additional 600 police officers to join a United Nations-backed mission in Haiti aimed at addressing escalating gang violence in the Caribbean nation. These officers are scheduled to complete their pre-deployment training and head to Haiti by early November, as confirmed by Kenya’s Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja.
The decision follows a significant meeting on October 11, 2024, between Kenya’s President, William Ruto, and Haiti’s interim Prime Minister, Garry Conille, held at the State House in Nairobi. During the meeting, President Ruto emphasized the need for international support to sustain the peacekeeping efforts, highlighting the mission’s current struggle with a lack of funding.
"We urge the global community to urgently rally behind this mission," President Ruto stated, underscoring its critical nature in mitigating Haiti’s security challenges. Prime Minister Conille joined in this call, reinforcing the necessity of international collaboration.
Currently, 400 Kenyan officers are already in Haiti as part of the multinational effort designed to combat the severe insecurity rampant throughout the nation. Inspector General Kanja assured that previous concerns regarding delayed salary payments for officers in Haiti have been resolved.
Haiti’s dire situation was further illustrated by a recent violent incident in the town of Ponte Sonde, located about 100 kilometers from Port-au-Prince, where gang gunfire resulted in 109 deaths and injured approximately 40 others. This tragic event underscores the urgent need for continued international intervention and support.
The United Nations Security Council recently extended the mandate of the current policing mission for another year, opting against transitioning it into a full UN peacekeeping operation. This decision reflects ongoing assessments of Haiti’s needs and the logistical challenges facing a more extensive peacekeeping deployment.
The UN human rights office has reported that gang violence in Haiti has claimed more than 3,600 lives in 2024 alone, depicting a distressing picture of the island nation’s internal turmoil.
Kenya’s proactive leadership and commitment, as demonstrated by the increased deployment, highlights the critical role of global cooperation in addressing crises that transcend borders. The international community faces an urgent call to support these efforts, providing the necessary financial and logistical backing to help restore stability and security to Haiti.
