A new analysis recently released warned that an international armed force sent to combat violent gangs in Haiti this year would confront several obstacles, such as shifting gang allegiances and pervasive corruption among police, politicians, and the nation’s elite.
A court decision in the East African nation is pending before the multinational force, which Kenya would command, is sent.
- Advertisement -
Should the mission be approved, a small group of Kenyans is anticipated to travel to Haiti in the early part of this year, with the possibility of up to 5,000 people eventually taking part.
Additionally pledging soldiers for the multinational deployment are Burundi, Chad, Senegal, Jamaica, and Belize.
“Major challenges lie in wait for the mission once it is on the ground,” the International Crisis Group, a Belgian organization, reported.
“Haiti’s gangs could ally to battle it together. Fighting in Haiti’s ramshackle urban neighborhoods will put innocent civilians at risk. Links between corrupt police and gangs could make it difficult to maintain operational secrecy. For all these reasons, preparation will be of critical importance.”
An estimated 80% of Port-au-city Prince’s is under the control of 300 gangs, whose reaches extend northward into the Artibonite area, which is regarded as Haiti’s bread basket.
According to UN figures, gangs were accused of murdering up to 4,000 individuals and kidnapping an additional 3,000 last year—a rise over prior years.
In addition, almost 200,000 individuals were compelled to leave their neighborhoods as warring gangs set fire to houses, murdering and raping their way across neighborhoods.
With less than 10,000 policemen on duty always in a nation of over 11 million people, Haiti’s National Police is no match for them. It is recommended by the UN that there be around twenty-five thousand active officers.
“The police are completely outnumbered and outgunned by the gangs,” stated Diego Da Rin of the International Crisis Group, who conducted research for the paper in Haiti for over a month towards the end of last year.
