The Consul-General of Kenya's Consulate in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Noor Gabow, made a maiden courtesy call to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission team as part of a morale boost in their efforts to contain gang violence in the Caribbean country.
Kenya
has more than 800 police officers in Haiti and is leading a UN-sponsored mission to contain the gangs there.
Gabow was
formally received last week as the Consul-General to Haiti. It is the first
time that Kenya has a Consul-General in Haiti.
He visited the MSS force commander, Geoffrey Otunge, on Monday, July 22, for talks on the
progress of the mission.
Gabow is
the immediate Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police, whose members
are among the officers in Haiti.
Otunge
was one of his juniors when he served as the DIG.
According to a statement, Otunge briefed Gabow on the progress of the MSS troops in the MSS security mission.
While addressing the police officers, Gabow
conveyed greetings from President William Ruto and the Kenyan people at large.
“He sincerely appreciated the personnel for the utmost professionalism and discipline that they have exhibited and commended the MSS leadership for the steadfast guidance that has seen the deterrence of gang activities in Haiti,” a statement said.
The Consul-General urged the troops to continue collaborating among the MSS personnel from diverse contingents and to support the Haitian Police towards the common goal of a safer and more prosperous Haiti.
He further assured the troops of support from
the Consulate in the provision of essential consular services as he wished the
troops the very best in the mission.
This
comes amid lobbying at the UN in New York for the renewal of the mission's mandate.
Kenyan
police first landed in Haiti on June 25, 2024, for a one-year operation.
There is an ongoing push for more funding for the mission amid setbacks from the gangs on the ground.
Officials say that a lack of funding has affected the operations at large.
The personnel have liberated the local port, main highway and hospital, which were initially under the control of gangs.
Gabow is a career police officer who has served at various levels, including at UN headquarters in New York.
Reports indicate armed gangs have tightened their grip on Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, with UN officials warning it is possible a "total collapse" of state presence in the city could occur.
Violent armed gangs now have some 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince under their grip, said Ghada Waly, director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
The previous assessment was 85 per cent.
With the state's capacity to govern rapidly shrinking, criminal gangs are stepping into the void, she warned.
"They are establishing parallel governance structures and providing rudimentary public services," she said.
Gang violence has continued to soar since an organised assault prompted the resignation last year of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
He was replaced by a frail transitional council
that is mandated to prepare for elections by February 2026. Its last elections
were in 2016.
