Kenyan Delegation Convenes with Haitian Police to Discuss Multinational Gang-Fighting Force

Kenyan Delegation Convenes with Haitian Police to Discuss Multinational Gang-Fighting Force

Kenya to lead UN-backed security force in Haiti amid gang violence

A Kenyan delegation has been meeting with Haiti’s national police chief to assess the security situation in the Caribbean country, where gangs have been waging a brutal war for territory and resources. Kenya has agreed to lead a possible UN-backed multinational security force to help Haiti’s police restore order and protect civilians.

Kenya’s delegation visits Haiti

The Kenyan delegation, led by Major General Samuel Nandwa, arrived in Haiti on Sunday and met with Frantz Elbe, the head of Haiti’s National Police (PNH), on Monday. The delegation also visited some of the areas affected by the gang violence, such as Martissant and Cite Soleil, where hundreds of people have been killed or displaced in recent months.

The delegation is expected to stay in Haiti for a week and submit a report to the UN Security Council on the feasibility and modalities of deploying a security force to Haiti. The UN has been calling for international support for Haiti, which has been struggling with political instability, poverty, natural disasters and gang violence.

Kenya to lead security force

Kenya has been the first country to express its willingness to lead a security force in Haiti, following a request from Haiti’s government last October. Kenya has experience in peacekeeping operations in Africa and has contributed troops to the UN missions in Somalia, South Sudan and Congo.

The security force would consist of police officers from various countries, who would work alongside Haiti’s police to combat the gangs and disarm them. The force would also provide training and equipment to Haiti’s police, who have been overwhelmed by the gang threat.

The security force would operate under a UN mandate and would be authorized to use “robust use of force” to restore security and stability in Haiti. The force would also respect Haiti’s sovereignty and human rights.

Haiti faces gang crisis

Haiti has been facing a surge of gang violence since last year, when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated by a group of mercenaries. The gangs have taken advantage of the power vacuum and have expanded their control over large parts of the country, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The gangs have been fighting each other for territory, resources and influence, using heavy weapons and kidnapping civilians for ransom. The gangs have also blocked access to essential services such as food, water, health care and education for millions of people. According to the UN, more than 2,400 people have been killed and over 200,000 have been internally displaced by the gang violence this year. The UN has also warned of a humanitarian crisis and a risk of famine in Haiti.