Kenyan police crucial for controlling gangs, says Haiti PM

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille last week addressed the U.N. Security Council, praising the recently deployed Kenyan police for their vital role in controlling the country’s gangs and advancing toward democratic elections. Conille described the feedback from their initial days in the capital as “extremely, extremely positive.”

Conille outlined his government’s priorities, focusing on combating gang violence and food insecurity, ensuring free elections through constitutional and political reform, and rebuilding public trust in the police.

The initial contingent of 200 Kenyan police arrived in Port-au-Prince on June 25, with Kenya pledging a total of 1,000 officers. Conille confirmed that the next group would arrive soon. The international police force, which will eventually include personnel from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica, is expected to total 2,500 members.

In 2022, Haiti requested an international force to address gang violence, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spent months seeking a country to lead the effort before Kenya stepped forward.

The power of gangs has surged since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, with estimates suggesting they now control up to 80% of the capital. This increase in violence has led to civilian vigilante groups rising in response.