Kenyan Police Aid Arrives, Haitian PM Promises To Reclaim His Country From Armed Criminal Gangs

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille/PHOTO via X@PrimatureHT

JAKARTA - Kenyan's first group of police have arrived in the capital city of Haiti for the peacekeeper's long-awaited mission in the Caribbean nation which has been hit by criminal gang violence.

"Finally, multinational forces are here to support our national police," Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told a news conference.

Conille said efforts to retake the country would begin longing, without a major battle unless necessary."

"But I want no one to doubt our goals," he said. The state will regain power and reaffirm its authority so that all Haitians can live peacefully in this country," said the Haitian Prime Minister.

The mission of sending the troops was first requested by the previous Haitian government in 2022. But support declined and Conille's predecessor was forced to resign in early March after traveling to Nairobi for support from Kenya while violence escalated in Haiti.

Gang wars have now displaced more than half a million people and nearly five million people are facing severe food insecurity.

Armed groups, which now control most of the capital, have formed a broad alliance while committing massive killings, kidnappings for ransom, and sexual violence.

Kenya's main goal is to become a peace agent, Kenya's Foreign Minister Monica Juma emphasized that the police will prioritize the protection of civilians, open up pathways for the movement of people, goods and humanitarian aid, and protect state institutions.