200 More Kenyan Police Officers Deployed to Haiti.

Two hundred additional Kenyan police officers have departed for Haiti as part of a UN-backed mission aimed at addressing severe gang violence in the Caribbean nation, according to senior police officials on Tuesday. This deployment follows an earlier mission in June, where Kenya sent approximately 400 officers to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, as part of a controversial plan to deploy around 1,000 officers to help stabilize the country.

The initiative, proposed by President William Ruto in response to domestic anti-government protests, has faced ongoing legal obstacles in Kenya. A senior police officer informed AFP that the 200 officers left on a chartered plane Monday night and are expected to arrive in Haiti Tuesday morning to join their colleagues already stationed there. Another official confirmed that more officers will be sent soon until the full contingent of 1,000 is reached.

Kenya is spearheading a multinational force expected to total around 2,500 personnel, with contributions from other countries in Africa and the Caribbean. The mission is supported by but not directly managed by the United Nations.

On July 1, Kenya’s National Police Service dismissed rumors of seven officers being killed in Haiti, affirming that the deployed forces were “received warmly,” were “all safe,” and ready to fulfill their mandate. They are collaborating with the Haitian National Police, conducting strategic assessments and joint patrols in Port-au-Prince.

The deployment was authorized by a UN Security Council resolution in October but faced delays due to a Kenyan court ruling in January that deemed the deployment unconstitutional, citing the lack of a prior bilateral agreement. The agreement with Haiti was finalized in March, although the Thirdway Alliance Kenya, a small opposition party, has filed a new lawsuit to halt the mission.

The United States, which had been seeking a leading country for the mission and is providing funding and logistical support, has ruled out sending its own troops. Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns about the mission’s funding and the Kenyan police’s track record of excessive force and unlawful killings.

Haiti, which has long struggled with gang violence, has seen conditions deteriorate sharply since February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks aiming to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry. This violence has severely impacted food security and humanitarian aid access, with much of the city under the control of gangs accused of serious abuses including murder, rape, looting, and kidnappings.