Haiti mission will be futile without more funds, police

 

In October 2023, the UN Security Council backed Kenya's offer to lead a multinational security force to Haiti. [AFP]

Kenya took a bold step to send police officers to Haiti to restore law and order in the troubled nation whose president Jovenel Moise was assassinated by militia groups in 2021.

Kenya, which is leading the Multinational Security Support Mission to support Haiti’s National Police in securing Port-au-Prince, other areas and key installations, has so far sent 400 officers to the country out of the 1,000 that it promised to.

The entire mission was to comprise 2,500 personnel from Kenya, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica but most of these countries have yet to send their officers. This means the crucial mission has a serious personnel shortage.

Notably, since our police officers’ arrived in Haiti followed by President William Ruto’s visit to the Caribbean country on September 21, Kenyan media has been awash with reports of a confident mission that has liberated the country’s gang-ridden neighbourhoods through competent Kenyan command. 

However, credible reports from within Haiti as well as the international media channels tell a different story. Despite gang leader Jimmy Barbecue being outfoxed, large parts of the capital still remain under the control of dangerous armed gangs. Many areas are still uninhabitable, and the situation is getting worse by the day, not better.

On Christmas Eve, a raid by the ragtag ‘Viv Ansanm’ gang during the reopening of the State University Hospital of Haiti left a police officer and two journalists dead and several others injured. The attack is one among many that speak to the persistent violence plaguing the country.

The celebration shouldn’t start too early. With security experts warning that the situation in Haiti remains tense, there is growing concern that the Kenyan police officers and the broader multinational mission are struggling to make the significant gains needed to end criminal gang violence.

As the New Year begins, it is crucial to remind the international community of its responsibility in addressing this crisis. The Kenyan police, with all their positive attitude and prowess, cannot resolve the situation alone.

We urge the UN to rally the international community to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. The UN must mobilise more financial and logistical support to ensure the success of the Haiti mission.