Kenya Will Send Nearly 1,000 Police to Stop Gang Violence in Haiti

Haitian Police Forces in the Streets, June 2024 Photo: @politico

June 24, 2024 Hour: 1:54 pm

With this deployment of officials, Kenya seeks to collaborate in the fight against violence in Haiti and provide international support in a context of growing insecurity on the Caribbean island. – Photo: In the Mira.

A military contingent of at least a thousand Kenyan police will be sent to Haiti on Tuesday, June 25, as part of a UN-backed mission to stop gang violence, government and police sources said Sunday.

Kenya plans to send nearly 1,000 troops as part of a UN-backed mission to address the growing problem of gang violence on the Caribbean island.

Despite the legal obstacles faced by the deployment, Kenyan President William Ruto has shown his enthusiasm for the mission and has announced that deployment will begin in the coming weeks.

«The departure will be on Tuesday of this week», declared an official of the Ministry of the Interior, under condition of anonymity. In addition, it has been reported that advance teams are already on the ground and that preparations for deployment are ready.

Kenya is a firm believer in the shared global values of multi-lateralism as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We will safeguard shared principles of humanity that enable us to advance peace, security and stability.

Held talks with the Haiti Transitional Presidential… pic.twitter.com/MNqOJVRETM
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) June 19, 2024

The mission, approved by the UN Security Council in October and with the main financial support of the United States, had been delayed by instability in Haiti and internal opposition in Kenya.

Despite questions about the legality and concerns of organizations like HRW about human rights, the Kenyan government managed to obtain the necessary permission to send its agents abroad.

With this deployment, Kenya seeks to collaborate in the fight against violence in Haiti and provide international support in a context of growing insecurity on the Caribbean island.