Kenya, Haiti Sign Agreement for Deployment of 1,000 Police Officers to Fight Gangs

Kenya and Haiti Friday March 1 signed agreement on the deployment of 1,000 police officers to the Multi-National Security Support Mission in Haiti. 

President Ruto and Haiti PM Ariel Henry witnessed the signing ceremony in State House Nairobi.

Ruto said following a UN resolution allowing the deployment, preparations for the mission commenced, including the authorisation procedures, preparation of mission documents, including the concept of operations, conduct and discipline policy, status protection agreement and directive on detention, searches and use of force.

“There has also been extensive engagement with member States to translate the global solidarity into concrete support for the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS),” he said.

He added on October 13, 2023, the National Security Council and Cabinet approved the deployment of 1,000 police officers. Further, on November 16, 2023, Parliament unanimously approved this deployment.

Subsequently, a petition was filed in court and the court determined the need for a reciprocal instrument between Kenya and Haiti to enable this deployment.

“We have also discussed the next steps to enable the fast-tracking of the deployment. I take this opportunity to reiterate Kenya’s commitment to contribute to the success of this multi-national mission,” he said.

The team is likely to leave for Haiti anytime from next week. Ruto will preside over the graduation event in Ruiru before they leave for the mission, officials said.

Kenya which will lead the team to combat the gangs plans to deploy more than 1,000 officers to Haiti to help in the mission.

The teams are from the Rapid Deployment Unit, Anti Stock Theft Unit, General Service Unit, and Border Patrol Unit.

Haiti was under siege on Thursday, February 29 as Henry arrived in Kenya to sign the agreement.

This is after a gang staged an attack on the country’s main international airport, police stations and government agencies, paralysing normal operations.

Heavy gunfire paralyzed Haiti’s capital on Thursday as a powerful gang leader warned he would try to capture the country’s police chief and government ministers.

Gunmen shot at Haiti’s main international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that caught many people by surprise, forcing businesses, government agencies and schools to close early as parents and young children fled through the streets in panic.

At least one airline, Sunrise Airways, suspended all flights.

At least four police officers, including two women, were killed in an attack on a station near the community of Canaan, according to a police union.

During the attack, Jimmy Cherizier, leader of the gang federation G9 Family and Allies, directed his men to launch assaults near police stations, which led to the deaths of four police officers.

In a video circulating on social media, Cherizier disclosed that the goal was to seize control of government ministries to liberate the country.

He warned Henry not to return from Kenya.

“With our guns and with the Haitian people, we will free the country,” he stated.

It was not clear if Chérizier’s faction, known as G9 Family and Allies, had the backing of other major gangs that are estimated to control up to 80 percent of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

The wave of violence persisted in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as the gang continued to infiltrate the city in coordinated attacks.

The gang’s armoured vehicles patrolled the city, showcasing their might, while other members remained stationed near slums.

The attacks came days after Henry met in Guyana with Caribbean leaders, who said he pledged to hold long-awaited general elections by mid-2025.

It is the third time he has announced such a deadline, with previous promises made in 2022 and 2023.

Henry flew from Guyana to Kenya in hopes of moving forward on the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti.

A court ruled last month that the proposed deployment was unconstitutional, but Henry and Kenyan officials have been working on a deal that would allow forces to arrive in Haiti soon.