Kenyan troops deployed to Haiti have made “significant progress” in tackling gang violence.
According to Kenyan police, the force assisting the Haitian police has made “significant progress” in tackling gang violence since they arrived in the country two months ago.
It said the Kenyan police has helped the Haitian police recover “critical infrastructure, including the airport, from gang control” and “opened critical roads that have enabled the return of thousands of Haitians earlier displaced”.
Haiti has been struggling to eradicate violent gangs that control swathes of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the country’s main roads.
The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) was deployed to assist Haiti in tackling insecurity.
The 1000-member Kenyan contingent comprises officers from several elite units of which at least 400 have already been deployed.
The mission, expected to last one year, will involve 2,500 personnel from countries including Benin, Chad, the Bahamas, Bangladesh and Barbados.
Although the United States did not send soldiers to Haiti, the country contributed funding and logistical support to the mission.
Gang attacks skyrocketed at the beginning of the year, prompting embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. Since then, the violence in Port-au-Prince has led to a serious humanitarian crisis.
According to the United Nations, almost 600,000 Haitians have been displaced by armed gangs accused of murder, rape, looting and kidnappings.