The first UN-backed contingent of foreign police, consisting of a few hundred officers from Kenya, arrived in Haiti on Tuesday.
This deployment comes nearly two years after Haiti requested international assistance to counter surging gang violence. The Kenyan officers landed in Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport recently reopened after being closed due to gang control for nearly three months.
The Kenyans will confront violent gangs that dominate 80% of the capital, leaving over 580,000 people homeless as they seize neighborhoods. Their arrival marks the fourth significant foreign military intervention in Haiti, with mixed reactions from locals, given past controversies surrounding UN peacekeeping missions.
Gang violence has severely disrupted life in Haiti, affecting businesses and daily activities. Orgline Bossicot, a local vendor, expressed hope that the Kenyan police would restore security, allowing people to resume their livelihoods. The deployment follows coordinated gang attacks that began in February, targeting government infrastructure and prisons, and forcing then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.
The UN Security Council authorized Kenya to lead this mission in October 2023, and officers from several other countries will join for a total force of 2,500. Despite initial delays, this deployment aims to stabilize Haiti’s dire security situation, which has resulted in over 2,500 casualties in the first quarter of this year alone.
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