General Service Unit and Border police from Kenya stand in formation as they wait for the arrival of the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti base near the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 22, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
NAIROBI — The Kenyan-led international security force deployed to Haiti has made “significant progress” in tackling gang violence, Kenyan police said, two months after they first arrived.
It also said the force had helped Haitian police take back control of “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 long been plagued by violent gangs that now control swathes of the capital Port-au-Prince and the country’s main roads.
READ: Stakes high for Haiti as Kenya forces deploy
The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which Kenya stepped up to lead last year, was deployed to help Haiti tackle the soaring insecurity.
Its promised 1,000-member Kenyan contingent is made up of officers from several elite units, of which at least 400 have already been deployed.
Set for an initial duration of one year, the mission will involve a total of 2,500 personnel from countries including Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, the Bahamas and Barbados.
READ: 200 more Kenyan police deploy to tackle Haiti violence
The United States has ruled out putting boots on the ground but is contributing funding and logistical support to the mission.
In an article published in the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation on Monday, several relatives of police officers deployed to Haiti reported delays in their salary payments.
Gang attacks escalated at the start of the year, pushing embattled prime minister Ariel Henry to resign.
Since then, the violence in Port-au-Prince has led to a serious humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 600,000 people have been displaced in Haiti, with the armed gangs accused of abuses including murder, rape, looting and kidnappings.