The government of Kenya on Thursday
sent 168 more police officers to Haiti to join others on the ground in fighting
criminal gangs terrorizing locals.
The team left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on February 6 at about 1 am and was expected in Port-au-Prince on Thursday evening.
The officers mainly from the paramilitary General Service Unit left for the mission after months of training and waiting.
Top government officials saw the team off at the airport aboard a Kenya Airways flight.
The arrival of the new team in Haiti rises to 800, the number of Kenyan cops on the ground under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
The team is optimistic they will make an impact on the ground.
This came as the US announced it had frozen over US$13 million (Sh1.7 billion) in funding for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Mission in Haiti under President Donald Trump’s 90-day foreign aid pause.
The United Nations confirmed the development on Tuesday, which caught many off-guard including officials in Kenya.
But officials on the ground said they are not worried with the developments so far.
“We have extended our contracts to October this year and we believe there will be a solution to this issue by then,” said an official on the ground.
The US embassy in Haiti issued a statement to explain the move.
“The United States has not paused all assistance for the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti. On the contrary, Secretary Rubio approved waivers to allow for millions of dollars in mission-critical assistance to the MSS mission and Haitian National Police (HNP).”
“The Department of State approved waivers for
$40.7 million in foreign assistance to benefit the HNP and MSS mission.
This includes logistical contracts to support forward operating bases, a
vehicle maintenance contract to support the MSS mission fleet, a medical
services contract for the HNP, transportation services for Department of
State-provided equipment deliveries, and contracts that support subject matter
experts with the HNP,” the statement added.
It said on Wednesday, that the
US delivered much-needed heavy armoured equipment
to the MSS mission and HNP in Port-au-Prince.
“The UN Secretary-General announced that
implementation of the remaining $13.3 million funds provided by the United
States to the UN Trust Fund have been paused. The $15 million provided in total
to the Trust Fund represents less than 3% of the total funds that the United
States is providing directly to support the MSS mission.”
Kenya said on Wednesday said the operations of the Kenya-led multinational security support mission in Haiti won’t be jeopardised after the United States froze its financial contributions to the force’s United Nations fund.
The security mission was approved by the U.N.
Security Council in October 2023 to support Haiti's authorities in fighting
criminal gangs in the Caribbean country.
It is not a United Nations operation and
currently relies on voluntary contributions.
In addition to the $15 million transfer to the
fund, the US had contributed over $300 million in funds and equipment
directly to the MSS, including dozens of armoured vehicles.
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir
Singoei said that the UN Trust Fund for Haiti is the Fund that supports the
Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti as established in October
2023 by UNSCR 2699.
“The Kenyan-led MSS has police deployments from not just Kenya but Guatemala, Jamaica, El Salvador, Bahamas, and Belize among others.
As of the end of 2024, US$110.3 million had been pledged by several
countries including the USA, Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Algeria.”
“Some US$85 million had been received by the
Trust Fund including substantial amounts from the United States,” he said.
He said while the undisbursed US contribution to the
Trust Fund of $15 million has been paused as per presidential directive, the
Fund has sufficient resources to continue underwriting the Mission until the end of
September 2025.
“The transition of the Mission to a full UN
Mission to ensure financial sustainability is a key priority to which Kenya and
all partners are committed.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has
asked the United Nations to consider sending a peacekeeping force to Haiti.
The suggestion was made in a letter Macron sent
to the UN after meeting with Leslie Voltaire, resident of Haiti's
Transitional Presidential Council at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
Just last month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres warned that Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince could be overrun by
gangs if the international community does not step up aid to the security
mission.
He said more money, equipment and personnel were
needed for the force, adding that further delays risk the “catastrophic”
collapse of Haiti's security institutions.
The Kenyan team is part of a
UN-approved international force that will be made up of 2,500 officers from
various countries.
There are however concerns that even if the team manages to dislodge the bandits from this stronghold, the absence of an immediate and lasting occupation by the police or the army will allow them to return quickly.
