Kenya urged to hasten police deployment to Haiti amidst rising gang violence

As the World prepares to observe Human Rights Day on December 10, pressure is mounting on Kenya to speed up the deployment of police to Haiti to help combat the spiraling gang violence in the country.

In a special report by the UN on human rights, violence has extended to Haiti’s central rural region, an area previously considered safe from the increased instability in the country.

The gangs and those who support them have made farmers and the properties they work on the prime targets, it states.

The report titled ‘Criminal Violence Extends Beyond Port-Au-Prince’ details how criminal gangs and vigilante groups have continued to engage in murder and kidnappings in the nation.

“The international community to support the rapid deployment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission following human rights norms and standards, as adopted by UN Security Council resolution 2699 (2023),” the report reads in part.

The report contains various recommendations to the Haitian government and the international community.

Kenya is leading the mission to the country with reports indicating it is set to deploy the first team of officers in January.

Parliament, two weeks ago, approved the plan despite a court order barring any deployment, pending the outcome of a legal challenge to the plan.

The Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome recently told Parliament that officers have already been selected and currently undergoing training.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure on his part said the Kenyan troops will not be deployed unless all conditions including finances are met.

"Kenya will not allow its troops to exit the country for Haiti until all the required resources, including equipment and finances, are mobilized and availed," he said.

Germany is the latest country to pledge its support for the planned mission after the US which has already committed Sh29 billion for the purpose.

UN, in the report, has also recommended that United Nations Security Council (UNSC) update the list of persons and entities subject to sanctions for supporting, preparing, ordering, or committing such violent acts.

“These measures must also be accompanied by far-reaching action on the part of the Haitian authorities, who must fulfill their international obligations and respect their human rights commitments,” it states.

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on December 10.

It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Between January 2022 and October 2023, more than 1,690 people have been killed, injured, or kidnapped in the rural localities, some 100km north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, it states.

Over the past two years, the Haiti police response to the rising violence of criminal groups in the Artibonite department has been inadequate and inconsistent due to a lack of operational resources.

The period from 2017 to 2020 saw a rise in insecurity.

However, a certain lull was observed from January 2021, following the death of Gran Grif gang leader Odma Louissaint.

This was followed by the establishment of a commission of "notables" to restore stability to the area, which led to a temporary decrease in criminal activity, at least until early 2022.

Firearms and ammunition in gang possession are said to be purchased from the Village de Dieu gang and other intermediaries in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

Some of the arms said to be used by the gangs are M16, M4, T65, Galil, AK47, M1, AR15 and pistols.

Lower Artibonite is one of the country's leading agricultural regions and for decades, the fertility of its land attracted a great deal of interest.

Other recommendations given in the report are strengthening the coordination of humanitarian aid and allocation of more funds to national actors to support humanitarian aid, including initiatives to protect and combat sexual violence.