At least 20 Haitian gang members were left with life-threatening injuries on Sunday and Monday during a shooting by security operation carried out by the Haitian police jointly with Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) officers.
Kenya leads the MSS mission which is supposed to have 2900 personnel.
The operation was staged in Torcel, a town located 14 kilometres from Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
Torcel is known to be the stronghold of “Kraze baryè,” one of the most stubborn gangs in Haiti.
Officials said the operation was aimed at tracking down armed gangs throughout the national territory and dismantling the Kraze baryè gang.
Officials said during the clash, the team also brutally injured the second leader of the Kraze baryè gang, Deshomme.
Several items, including firearms, ammunition, mobile phones, sensitive materials, and equipment, were seized during the operation.
“Our brave police officers have carried out penetrations into strategic areas used by criminals for some time to commit their crimes. As part of the fight to track down armed gangs throughout the national territory, the Haitian National Police continues its operations and interventions in several areas of the country,” read part of the statement by the Haitian National Police (HNP).
However, despite defeating the gangs, an armoured vehicle ferrying the Kenyan officers experienced engine failure and could not be restarted despite the intervention of technicians who were on site.
“The PNH remains mobilized in the continuation of these said operations to neutralise the leader of the gang and terrorist, Vitelhomme Innocent, and his acolytes,” the statement by the Haitian police reads.
Another statement by the MSS team confirmed the same.
“It is against this backdrop that MSS is sending a strong warning to key gang leaders to stop the barbarous acts of rape, extortion, kidnapping, blackmail, and killings. We wish to call out other gang members especially the "Kraze Baryé ' gang led by the most wanted criminal, Vitelhomme Innocent, to stop committing atrocities against innocent Haitians whose only wish and prayer is to live peacefully.”
“We therefore call upon all Haitians to rally behind and continue supporting MSS/HNP joint operations that have borne fruits,” the statement added.
The officials said operations and patrols saw a number of gang members arrested, with others escaping with life-threatening injuries.
“An assortment of weapons and communication equipment were also seized during the operation. In the process, one of our armoured personnel carriers developed an engine failure that could not be rectified immediately on site.”
The developments come against the backdrop of Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille's visit to Kenya.
During his visit to the country, Conille commended the Kenyan police for their immense efforts in restoring serenity in the Caribbean nation.
He, alongside President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, rallied the international community to do more to help restore peace in Haiti.
“Kenya and Haiti, therefore, stand united in calling on the international community to urgently rally behind this mission. The adoption by the United Nations Security Council to extend the term of the MSS by another year signals strong global support,” Ruto stated.
"Words and pledges must be matched by concrete action. We therefore strongly implore our global partners to accelerate their contribution to the personnel, logistics and financial resources necessary to sustain and expand the mission," he added.
More than 700,000 people in Haiti have fled their homes and over five million are going hungry—nearly half the population, according to the United Nations.
Last month, the UN Security Council unanimously authorised extending the MSS's mandate by another year.
A U.S. push for a plan to turn it into a UN peacekeeping mission was dropped from the resolution due to opposition from Russia and China.