The initial group of Kenyan police officers has arrived in Haiti to lead a UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission aimed at combating rampant crime gangs and militants. The 400 officers left on Tuesday after a pre-deployment ceremony at the Administration Police Training College in Nairobi the day before.
Kenyan President William Ruto addressed the officers on Monday, stating that this mission is urgent, important, and historic in terms of global solidarity. He emphasized that Kenya has a strong track record in peace-making and conflict resolution worldwide.
Despite a court ruling deeming the mission unconstitutional, Nairobi agreed last October to send 1,000 police officers to lead the Haiti mission after the UN Security Council approved a resolution introduced by the US. This resolution called for an international security force to address the escalating violence in Haiti.
In April, the UN called for the immediate deployment of the MSS force, citing the first quarter of the year as the deadliest for Haitians. Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, reported that around 2,500 people have been killed in gang violence, with attacks targeting various locations in Port-au-Prince.
Several countries, including Canada, Jamaica, and Senegal, have expressed their support for the initiative. Last month, US President Joe Biden pledged $300 million in funding for the multinational force but stated that the US would not send troops due to concerns about potential misinterpretations of American military presence in Haiti.
Some individuals in the impoverished nation of 11.4 million people, which was under US occupation from 1915–1934 following the assassination of Haitian President Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, oppose any Western intervention on the ground due to the historical record of military interventions.
Various human rights organizations, including the Haiti-based advocacy group Movement Unforgettable Dessalines Jean Jacques, have raised concerns about the involvement of Kenyan police, citing longstanding allegations of abuse against officers.
In the meantime, Kenya itself experienced turmoil on Tuesday when police forcefully suppressed thousands of protesters who had stormed parliament to express their opposition to a finance bill that introduced controversial taxes. Amnesty International and three Kenyan organizations stated in a joint declaration that at least five individuals were killed by police gunfire, and over 30 others sustained injuries.
