Haiti is on edge as it welcomes Kenyan police to combat rampant gang violence, marking the country’s fourth major foreign intervention.
Several hundred Kenyan police officers, adorned in camouflage uniforms and waving Kenyan flags, disembarked on the tarmac at Toussaint Louverture International Airport near the capital of Port-au-Prince.
The Kenyan initial 400-member contingent, part of a larger UN-backed multinational effort, aims to restore security and combat powerful gangs. The Associated Press reported that they will be joined later by police and soldiers from The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica for a total of 2,500 personnel.
“I want no-one to doubt the purpose of the mission. The state will regain power and reaffirm its authority so all Haitians can live peacefully in this country,” said Garry Conille, Haiti’s recently appointed interim Prime Minister, as he welcomed the Kenyan officers.
Quizzed on whether Kenya’s involvement in the mission is an attempt to curry favour with the US and other western powers, Kenyan President William Ruto rubbished the accusations. “We are doing it for the people of Haiti. The responsibility for security in Haiti is a shared responsibility,” he declared.
“I commend, and am deeply grateful to all the countries that have pledged personnel and financial support to this mission,” said US President Joe Biden, highlighting the US$360mn in support that his administration is providing to the effort.
Yet, challenges loom large as gangs control more that 80% of the capital with superior weaponry to Haitian police in some areas. Videos have been circulating on social media of gangs brandishing assault riffles and even dangerous .50 calibre bullets, as leaders say they are preparing for war with police.
While the specific assignments of personnel for the mission are closely guarded secrets except for senior officials, Prime Minister Conille said that the security force will be methodical in its approach. “The Haitian strategy is to restore security house by house, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, town by town,” said Conille.
“It’s a very tricky mandate that requires experience and strong local knowledge,” cautioned Sabrina Karim, Assistant Professor of Government at New York’s Cornell University, focusing on conflict and peace processes, in an interview with the Associated Press (AP).
Amid scepticism due to past failures of international missions, she said that the Kenyans must gain the trust of Haitians already distrustful of a government long linked to corruption and gangs. “The accountability piece is really important. That ultimately decides whether the Haiti public is going to accept the mission or not,” said Karim.
There is also concern about the lives of children, following a UN report which claimed that between 30% and 50% of members of armed groups are now children.
“An increasing number of children in Haiti have been driven to join armed groups due to hunger and desperation. These children are victims of child rights violations, and must be treated as children, not as militias,” said a statement by US-based nonprofit Save the Children.
With previous international interventions marred by mistreatment of Haitians, including allegations of sexual abuse and a cholera epidemic which killed thousands of locals, many remain sceptical about this latest UN-backed mission. However, this sentiment is not universal.
“There’s a breeze of hope in the air… if the Kenyans work hard, maybe in a few months from now, the economy will turn around,” said Frantz Pradieu, a local carpenter, in an AP interview. For now, the eyes of the world look on as Kenya, a country which as itself been crippled with violence in recent weeks, can successfully lead the charge for Haitian liberation.
Source: Caribbean Insight / AP News