Nairobi, Kenya
Reuters
Kenya is ready to lead a multi-national force into Haiti, which is experiencing a surge in violence between police and gangs, its foreign minister said on Saturday.
An escalation of violence by Haiti’s armed gangs is driving a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens of thousands of people.
People move away from tear gas fired by officers of the Haitian National Police while clearing a camp of people escaping the threat of armed gangs, in front of the US Embassy, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 25th July, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol/File photo
Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council and major potential contribution countries to act fast to create the conditions for the deployment of multinational force to Haiti.
“At the request of Friends of Haiti Group of Nations, Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti,” Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said in a statement.
“Kenya’s commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations.”
Haiti’s foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Mutua said the planned deployment from Kenya is still subject to getting a UN Security Council mandate and Kenyan authorisations.
“An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, a US nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti, a faith-based humanitarian aid organisation said on Saturday.
“We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, our director’s wife, and their child were kidnapped on the morning of Thursday, July 27th from our campus near Port au Prince while serving in our community ministry,” El Roi Haiti said on its website. The statement gave no further information on the age or gender of the child.
“We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of two US citizens in Haiti,” a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners.”
– With PAUL GRANT; additional reporting by VALENTINE HILAIRE in Mexico City, Mexico
