Silverio Omari
The UN has initiated training sessions for Kenyan police officers assigned to Haiti to combat gangs that are threatening local communities.
The UN Human Rights team provided the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission with a comprehensive compliance framework designed to incorporate human rights and international humanitarian law principles into the planning, execution, and assessment of security operations.
On August 1, during a session in Port-au-Prince, officers were briefed on international standards and best practices for the use of force, particularly concerning the MSS mission in Haiti. This training is particularly timely as gangs have recently become more aggressive and confrontational.
The situation escalated on July 30, when a Kenyan police officer was shot and wounded during a clash with gangs in Port-au-Prince. The incident occurred as the officer and his team were patrolling the National Hospital-APN Sea Port road and came across a lorry being attacked and looted by suspected gang members. The gang had killed the driver and was looting the vehicle, which was loaded with rice bags.
Godfrey Otunge, head of the mission, reported that the patrol team engaged the gang after they fired upon them. One Kenyan officer sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was evacuated to Life Support Area Hospital. The officer is in stable condition, recovering from injuries to the left acromioclavicular joint and soft tissue damage.
The gangs managed to escape with severe injuries, retreating into nearby tall buildings from which they had been shooting. This confrontation occurred just a day after another gunfight involving the MSS team and local gangs on July 29, during a visit by Prime Minister Garry Conille to a hospital in Port-au-Prince. While there were no reported injuries from that incident, gunfire was exchanged between the security forces and the gangs.
Otunge and Haitian National Police Director General Normil Rameau confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported from the July 29 incident. The hospital remains under the control of the Haitian National Police (HNP) and the MSS contingent, and the area was pacified following the gunfire.
The increasing confrontational behavior of the gangs reflects their realization that the troops are making progress in reclaiming territories previously under gang control. The Kenyan police are stationed in Haiti to assist local authorities in stabilizing areas overrun by gangs, including critical infrastructure such as the port, main airport, presidential palace, hospitals, and highways.
The MSS team, in collaboration with the HNP, continues its daily operations to stabilize Haiti and reclaim key facilities. The Kenyan team has also been hosting delegations from various foreign countries and providing combat training to local police officers.
In addition to Kenya, other countries pledging to send officers to Haiti include Benin, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, and France.
Dj Vnyash
