2023-07-29 23:58:17
Kenya announced on Saturday that it was ready to lead a multinational force in Haiti and deploy 1,000 police to the conflict-torn Caribbean country once its offer is accepted.
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“Kenya has agreed to positively consider taking the lead of a multinational force in Haiti. Kenya is committed to deploying a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police in restoring normalcy to the country and protecting strategic installations,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Its “deployment proposal”, however, requires a mandate from the UN Security Council as well as the agreement of local authorities, the ministry said.
“An assessment mission by an operational team from the Kenya police is planned in the coming weeks,” the same source further explained, saying that this will enable information to be acquired and the mandate to be oriented according to the operational needs of the mission in Haiti.
No other details were immediately available.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry have called on the international community to intervene to help local police, overwhelmed by gangs who control nearly 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince .
These gangs multiply crimes such as kidnappings, armed robberies and car thefts.
Ahead of Nairobi’s announcement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that progress towards the creation of a multinational peacemaking force in Haiti was underway.
Kenya has already deployed its peacekeeping forces abroad, including in DR Congo and Somalia.
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