Kenya’s peace mission in Haiti has been reinforced with the arrival of police officers from Jamaica and Belize. The additional officers landed in the Caribbean nation on the evening of September 12, 2024, to support the efforts of the Kenyan personnel already on the ground.
In a statement from Godfrey Otunge, the Mission Force Commander, it was announced: “On Thursday, September 12, 2024, at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, I, along with Rameau Normil, Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), welcomed the CARICOM advance contingent, which includes officers from Jamaica and Belize.”
The Kenyan team was present at the airport to greet their new counterparts, joined by local officials and a team of journalists. This addition is seen as a significant boost to the multinational aspect of the mission, which had previously been led solely by Kenyan forces.
Otunge addressed the media, saying, “I welcome the CARICOM team and urge other contributing countries that have committed to this mission to deploy their personnel before the end of the deployment phase, which is approaching.”
Although several countries had pledged to support the peace mission in Haiti, only Kenya had deployed at least 400 police officers. The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, and Chad had all expressed their intention to contribute troops, but have yet to fulfill their pledges.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric noted that Ksh13 billion had been allocated for the mission as of February, with over Ksh80 billion in pledges from international partners.
The newly arrived officers are expected to bolster the Kenyan troops’ efforts to reclaim areas and government infrastructure from gangs. The Kenyan forces have already made significant progress, including recapturing the Port-au-Prince port from gang control on July 19, 2024, after a fierce battle with members of Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue.
