The US handed over at least 600 assorted guns to the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti boosting ongoing operations against criminal gangs in the Caribbean nation.
The donation made on Monday February 10 also included nine pickups, two trucks, two excavators, two armored loaders and tens of bullets.
Officials said this will boost the ongoing operation on the gangs on the ground in general.
With the training of Haiti National Police (HNP) by the Kenya police, the donation will help in pushing back the gangs that have terrorized parts of Haiti capital city for years.
Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural disasters in recent decades have left Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas.
Last year, Haiti saw a record number of neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas fall to armed gangs, despite the presence of foreign forces and a new U.S.-backed transition government.
Officials said the donation underscores the United States’ continued commitment to supporting both the Haiti National Police (HNP) and MSS, enhancing their operational capacity to combat gangs and restore peace in Haiti.
A Ukrainian cargo plane had arrived from El Salvador carrying three helicopters designated for medical evacuations (Medevac) and casualty evacuations (Casevac).
The events silenced skeptics who had speculated that the mission was on the verge of collapse following the U.S. government’s recent decision to freeze funding to the Trust Fund.
“The successful arrival of reinforcements and equipment demonstrated that the MSS mission remains fully operational and progressing toward its objectives.”
The Kenyan team is part of the group 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.
But even 1,000 security personnel or the mission’s targeted goal of 2,500 is insufficient, security experts say.
HNP and MSS launched a muscular operation at the weekend in Croix-des-Bouquets, targeting the stronghold of the 400 Mawozo gang, led by Lanmô San Jou, Otunge said.
Security forces dismantled structures set up for an unauthorized carnival festival, sending a firm warning that gangs will not be allowed to operate freely under MSS/PNH watch.
The joint operations continued in Tabarre where several Krazebarière gang members were arrested. Security forces seized 15 handguns and 12 communication radios from their base, striking a major blow against Vitèlôme’s criminal network, part of the ‘Vivansam’ gang alliance.
The international security mission, while approved by the U.N. Security Council, is not a United Nations operation and currently relies on voluntary contributions.
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