Kenya Deploys Additional Police to Address Gang Crisis in Haiti

Another 200 Kenyan police officers departed for Haiti as part of a UN-backed mission aimed at quelling widespread gang violence in the troubled Caribbean nation, senior police officials confirmed on Tuesday.

“We have 200 police officers who left last night, and they are expected to arrive in Haiti this morning,” stated one senior officer to AFP. “They are joining their colleagues who are already on the ground.”

This deployment follows an initial group of approximately 400 Kenyan police officers who arrived in Haiti in June. Kenya is leading a multinational force that is projected to reach a total of around 2,500 personnel.

“More officers will be departing soon until we reach our target of 1,000 personnel,” added another Kenyan police officer.

The mission, sanctioned by the UN Security Council, has seen contributions from several countries across Africa and the Caribbean. Despite approval last year, the deployment faced delays due to legal challenges in Nairobi and political instability following the resignation of former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Haiti has long grappled with heavily armed gangs controlling large swathes of its capital, Port-au-Prince, and major routes throughout the impoverished nation. Conditions deteriorated sharply earlier in the year when these groups launched coordinated attacks in a bid to overthrow Henry, who later resigned amidst the turmoil.