What's happening in Haiti, why are 1,000 Kenyan cops going there

 

Haiti has been experiencing unrest for over two years now since the assassination of its President Jovenel Moise. 

Moise was on July 7, 2021, shot dead inside his home in  Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

According to the police, Moise was shot 12 times. 

BBC reported that the President had wounds on his forehead, and several on other parts of the body. 

The Caribbean country has since experienced violence marred with rape, killings(heads being chopped), and mistreatment of the young particularly children and the old.

Credible media reports have indicated that thousands of Haiti nationals have since fled their homes to neighbouring cities, staying away from the capital. 

More than 200,000 nationals have also been displaced as their homes were destroyed by the gang. 

In the first three months of 2023, it was reported that more than 850 people were killed by the gang, adding up to thousands of others who have died since the beginning of the unrest. 

According to the United Nations, a total of 1,359 were kidnapped in 2022. This it said was more than double recorded in 2021. 

"The kidnapping in Haiti averages at least four per day."

In the first six months of 2023, at least 1,000 people were kidnapped. 

Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry had in October last year, appealed for help, seeking deployment of other armed forces to assist in containing the gang members believed to be causing unrest. 

With a population of about 11 million people, and at least 10,000 police officers, Henry said the understaffed officers needed assistance. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres made the appeal requesting nations to lead in the peace and security mission in Haiti.

This was unsuccessful for over ten months until Kenya offered support in July. A move that was widely accepted by the UN. 

In August, a Kenyan security team on an assessment mission to Haiti visited the Caribbean nation and briefed President William Ruto on their findings.

While in Haiti, the team met PM Henry, members of his government and leaders of the High Council of the Transition (HTC) on their tour of the country.

Kenya is set to send 1,000 of its police officers to the country, who, according to the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretay Alfred Mutua, have started learning French. 

The CS also noted that the government has started the planning logistics, required equipment and psychological preparedness for the personnel. 

"We expect the UN mandate within the next few weeks. After that, we will deploy to Haiti. We have also started teaching some of our officers French," he said. 

Mutua in an interview with the BBC added that the country is looking at January 2024 to deploy the officers to the Caribbean country. 

With Kenya's 1,000 officers, the Bahamas has also pledged to deploy 150 of its officers. 

According to AP News, the most powerful gang leader in Haiti warned he would fight any international armed force deployed to the country if it committed any abuses.

“We are asking the population to rise up,” AP News reported.   BY THE STAR