Kenya sends 217 more police to Haiti mission

Kenya announced on Saturday the deployment of 217 more police officers to Haiti, strengthening efforts to restore stability.

The officers will join the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which has been under Kenya’s leadership since its inception in June 2024.

Criminal gangs maintain control over approximately 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, despite the mission’s ongoing operations.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen stated the reinforcements will complement the 400 Kenyan officers already deployed to the violence-plagued Caribbean nation.

“The Kenya-led mission has significantly reduced gang violence, earning global acclaim, including from both the outgoing and incoming US administrations,” he said.

Gang-related violence claimed 5,601 lives in Haiti last year, an increase of 1,000 from 2023, according to the United Nations.

More than one million people have been displaced, a figure that has tripled compared to the previous year, the UN reports.

Kenyan President William Ruto has pledged a total of 2,500 police officers to the mission, marking a significant commitment to Haiti’s security.

In September 2024, the UN Security Council extended the mission’s mandate but refrained from placing it under direct UN control.

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