In Haiti, Kenyan police clash with a gang while visiting a recently freed hospital.

Gunfire erupted during a visit by Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille to a hospital recently freed from gang control in Port-au-Prince.

The incident occurred on Monday, July 29, as the Prime Minister, along with Director General of the Haitian National Police Normil Rameau and the head of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, Godfrey Otunge, assessed the General Hospital premises.

Both Rameau and Otunge reported no injuries, but gunshots were exchanged between security forces and gangs in and around the hospital. They stated, “Later, the HNP and the MSS contingent investigated the source of the gunfire from the surrounding neighborhood and secured the area.”

They confirmed that the hospital remains under the protection of the HNP and MSS, with no casualties or injuries reported during the event. The police commanders noted that the PM was accompanied by CNN for coverage, and as his interview concluded, two shots rang out from the neighborhood.

After the interview, the PM left the hospital safely with his security team. However, while at a corner of the facility, security personnel discharged shots to cover the PM’s exit. “The PM and his team left the hospital without incident and were escorted back to his office,” they added.

Following the shooting, the Director General has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the gunfire. Kenyan troops are in Haiti to assist local authorities in combating gang violence that has nearly overrun the capital.

This incident is the latest in ongoing efforts to regain control from gangs in the area. Officials have successfully taken control of the main port in Port-au-Prince, a key highway, and the hospital. On July 17, Conille declared a state of emergency in 14 municipalities dominated by gangs.

“I authorize the Haitian National Police, supported by the Haitian Armed Forces and the MSS, to gradually deploy and conduct operations in the affected areas,” Conille stated. This state of emergency equips the government with the necessary tools to act, dismantle gangs, and restore state authority.

The gangs had been blocking food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid from entering the beleaguered Caribbean nation via the port, which remains a vital entry point for UN humanitarian assistance.

A similar gunfight occurred two weeks prior as officials traveled from Toussaint Louverture International Airport to the Autorite Portuaire Nationale port. “Both Kenyan and Haitian agents positioned themselves throughout the city while the shooting continued and managed to access the port, which had been off-limits since March,” Otunge reported.

The team’s responsibilities include securing the port, main airport, presidential palace, hospitals, and major highways. The hospital had been closed since March due to gang activity.

Otunge stated that the MSS, in collaboration with the HNP, continues to conduct daily operations to stabilize Haiti and reclaim critical facilities under gang control. The Kenyan team has welcomed delegations from various foreign nations to support their efforts and has received the necessary equipment for their operations.

In addition to Kenya, other countries such as Benin, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, and France have pledged to send officers to Haiti.