Another 200 Kenyan police officers have been deployed to Haiti as part of a United Nations-
backed mission to combat uncontrolled gang violence in the troubled Caribbean nation. Senior
police officers confirmed the deployment on Tuesday, marking the second significant dispatch of
Kenyan forces to Haiti this year.
This latest deployment follows the initial sending of 400 officers to Port-au-Prince in June, part
of Kenya’s controversial commitment to send a total of 1,000 police officers to help stabilize the
violence-stricken country. “We have 200 police officers who left last night; they should land in
their destination of Haiti this morning,” a senior police officer told AFP on Tuesday. “They are
joining their colleagues who are already on the ground.”
Another senior police source corroborated the news, stating that the officers had departed on
Monday night via a chartered plane. “More will be departing soon until we have all the 1,000,”
the source added.
Kenya is leading a force expected to total around 2,500 personnel, with contributions from other
African and Caribbean countries. Although the mission has UN backing, it is not managed by the
organization.
On July 1, Kenya’s National Police Service addressed rumors that seven officers had been killed
in Haiti, assuring the public that the deployed forces had been “received warmly,” were “all
safe,” and were ready to fulfill their mission. The Kenyan officers are working closely with the
Haitian National Police, having already mapped out strategic areas of concern and conducted
several joint patrols in Port-au-Prince.
The United States has been a major supporter of the mission, providing funding and support,
although President Joe Biden has ruled out deploying American troops to Haiti. The US has a
contentious history of intervention in Haiti, which is the poorest nation in the Americas.
Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns about the mission, particularly regarding its
funding and the conduct of Kenyan police, who have faced accusations of excessive force and
unlawful killings.
Haiti has been plagued by gang violence for years, but the situation deteriorated in late February
when armed groups launched attacks in Port-au-Prince, aiming to overthrow then-Prime
Minister Ariel Henry. The ensuing violence has severely impacted food security and
humanitarian aid access, with much of the capital controlled by gangs accused of murder, rape,
looting, and kidnappings.
As the Kenyan police join forces with their Haitian counterparts, the international community
watches closely, hoping for a reduction in violence and a return to stability in Haiti.