Haiti: Kenyan Troops in the Country Generate Controversy

The Kenyan mission has been controversial because of the long history of police abuse in the African country.

The arrival in Haiti of approximately 400 police officers from Kenya, who will lead a multinational security support group authorized by the United Nations (UN), has caused uncertainty about whether it will be possible for it to fulfill its mission to pacify the Caribbean country.

Related:
Kenya Will Send Nearly 1,000 Police to Stop Gang Violence in Haiti

A growing scepticism given the precarious strategic scope of this new mandate and taking into account the seven previous military interventions, which since 1990 have not managed to stabilize the country in a lasting way and in many cases rather exacerbated existing problems.

Kenya leads contingent for military intervention in Haiti

A growing scepticism given the precarious strategic scope of this new mandate and taking into account the seven previous military interventions, which since 1990 have not managed to stabilize the country in a lasting way and in many cases rather exacerbated existing problems.

The first 400 Kenyan police officers have arrived in Haiti.

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This history makes Haitians renew their distrust of this new contingent.

The effectiveness of the Kenyan mission will depend not only on its tactical capacity, but also on its ability to adapt to Haiti’s complex socio-political dynamics and also to do so with respect for human rights.

In October 2023, the UN Security Council authorized the support mission to the Haitian National Police. This was a response to the request of the Haitian authorities a year earlier to eradicate violence by armed gangs.