Residents in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are expressing cautious hope with the arrival of the first Kenyan police officers.
This deployment is part of a long-awaited mission to support Haitian police in fighting armed gangs.
A few hundred Kenyan officers landed in Haiti this week, leading a United Nations-sanctioned mission that could expand to over 2,500 personnel, though the full deployment timeline is unclear.
Mr. Jean-Louis Pierre, a Port-au-Prince resident, shared his optimism with reporters saying, “Now that the forces have arrived, the country can improve, but they need to stay. A few months or a year is not enough because the country will fall into the same problem.”
The mission’s initial 12-month mandate expires in October. Previous missions in Haiti have resulted in severe consequences, including civilian casualties, a cholera outbreak, and a sexual abuse scandal, with no reparations made.
This force was requested by Haiti’s former government in 2022. Since then, gangs have united under a common alliance, seizing control of large parts of the capital. This has led to widespread violence, kidnappings, sexual violence, and restricted movement of people and goods. The U.N. estimates five million people are struggling to find food, and over half a million are internally displaced.
New Prime Minister Garry Conille has vowed to reclaim the country “house by house.” However, tensions remain high, as an unverified video on social media showed gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier rallying his men, chanting, “Here’s Kenya: Shoot! We don’t care whether you are white or black. If you are not Haitian and you are on the ground, we consider that you are an invader.”
Conille has called for armed groups to disarm, while aid organizations express concern for civilians caught in the crossfire. The U.N. estimates up to half of gang recruits are children. Many young men in Haiti are currently armed as a means of survival, emphasizing the urgent need for employment opportunities to restore stability and reduce reliance on violence.
