President William Ruto of Kenya is expected in Haiti for a brief visit on Saturday, September 21, morning.
According to The Gazette and The Daily Item, Haitian government said Friday, September 20, that President Ruto of Kenya will receive a formal diplomatic welcome.
Ruto will take the opportunity to meet with the Transitional Presidential Council and Kenyan troops in Haiti.
President Ruto, who played a key role in sending Kenyan troops to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, will use this visit to meet with members of the Presidential Council.
Ruto will spend only a few hours in the country. After his visit, he will fly to the United States (US), where he is to participate in the 79th United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Ruto Sends Kenya Police to Haiti
The visit comes two months after Kenya deployed 400 police officers to Haiti to lead a multinational contingent to aid the Haitian police.
Ruto sent the police officers to Haiti following a request from the international community and is tasked with helping local forces restore order and peace in the face of growing insecurity.
The mission has been plagued by logistical problems and cost overruns, leading the United States, which primarily funds the mission, to explore a new format at the United Nations in recent weeks.
NPS Mission Updates
In an update on September 20, the National Police Service (NPS) said the MSSM team in Haiti and the Haiti National Police (HNP) have scaled up joint operations aimed at bringing normalcy to gang-controlled areas.
This includes Port-au-Prince Downtown, Ganthier, and Delmas, among other areas. NPS said joint patrols and operations have led to several arrests of gang members and a return to normalcy in the once gang-ridden areas.
Also Read: 3 Countries Agree to Deploy Officers in Haiti to Join Kenya Police
Kenya Police Destroys Rebel Gang
This followed an announcement by MSSM that the team led by the Kenya Police raided six regions and destroyed one of the rebel gangs in the last three weeks.
The operations targeted gang-controlled areas that included Port-au-Prince Downtown, Ganthier, Delmas, APN Port, Croix-des-Bouquets, and Tabarre Carrefour areas.
The joint security operations saw the destruction and removal of several barricades, enabling the clearance of roads that gangs had blocked.
Also Read: Ruto to Jet Out for Another International Assignment
“A double wall erected by the ‘400 Mawazo’ gang on National Road #8 in Croix-des-Bouquets was completely put down. This has since enabled free traffic flow of vehicles and the local population,” MSSM said.
The joint operations incorporated different formed HNP units that saw key areas pacified, with several gang members fleeing in consternation.
Several arrests were made, including the arrest of two “Chen Mechan and Pierre 6” gang members, with some weapons recovered from the gangs.
Jamaica New Troops Arrive in Haiti
An advance contingent of officers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) arrived in Haiti on September 12, 2024, an under the Command of Colonel Kevron Henry from Jamaica.
Henry will deputize Kenya’s Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police, Godfrey Otunge, in the mission.
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