Boinnet in Port-au-Prince, meets new Haiti president amid push for more deployments

A Kenyan team on Thursday met and held talks with the newly elected head of Haiti’s transitional president, Laurent Saint-Cyr over the operations against surging criminal gangs in the Caribbean country.

The team was led by Joseph Boinnet, who is the deputy National Security Adviser to President William Ruto, and the Kenyan Consul General to Haiti Noor Gabow.

The head of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), Godfrey Otunge, also attended the meeting that lasted almost two hours.

Officials said Saint-Cyr was happy with the MSS operations so far even as gangs that are fighting to take control of the capital.

Boinnet is in Haiti for a review mission on the performance of the Kenya police officers deployed there. The Kenya police who are about 800 lead the MSS team in their efforts to contain the gangs but there are plans to send more personnel there in two months.

The Kenyan team has been in Haiti since June 25, 2024 and its mandate is set for discussion, review and renewal by the UN next month in New York, officials said. There is a push for UN to take several bills incurred by the team and others by the Africa Union.

Saint-Cyr, a wealthy businessman was on August 7 Thursday voted the head of Haiti’s transitional presidential council tasked with restoring order in the troubled country as a top gang leader underscored the challenges facing the nation by vowing to overthrow the government.

Saint-Cyr’s appointment marked the first time that members of Haiti’s private sector serve in both the rotating presidency and the post of prime minister, two positions that share the country’s executive duties.

Saint-Cyr had his start at a local insurance company while Haiti’s current prime minister once ran an internet firm.

US federal prosecutors Tuesday announced criminal charges against Jimmy Cherizier, the Haitian gang leader known as “Barbecue” who leads an alliance of gangs that control much of the capitol of Port-au-Prince.

The indictment alleges that  Cherizier, as well as US citizen Bazile Richardson, 48, solicited funds from the Haitian diaspora community in the US to help pay gang members and buy firearms in violation of US sanctions.
Cherizier, a former police officer who is at large in Haiti, leads the group Viv Ansanm (Live Together).

The US is offering $5m (£3.7m) for information leading to his arrest.

The group has been accused of multiple murders, kidnappings and attacks on infrastructure.