The head of the Kenya-led multinational force tasked with curbing gang violence in Haiti stated today that “there’s no room for failure” and emphasized the mission’s commitment to ensuring democratic elections in the Caribbean nation.
This announcement was made during a nationally broadcast news conference, marking the first public comment from the Kenyan force, although no questions were taken from the media.
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Significant questions linger regarding the Kenyan force, which arrived late last month in Haiti. This deployment follows months of powerful gangs seizing control of most of Port-au-Prince, leading to the prime minister’s resignation.
“We have a job that we are committed to do,” said Kenyan officer Godfrey Otunge. “We intend to achieve this by working closely with Haitian authorities and local and international partners dedicated to a new Haiti.”
The UN-backed mission, supported by over $300 million from the United States, has faced scrutiny from the outset. Kenyan police have been accused by watchdogs and witnesses of human rights abuses, including during recent protests in Kenya.
Haiti’s new Prime Minister, Garry Conille, has described the history of foreign intervention in Haiti as a “mixed bag,” citing instances of human rights abuses and a “lack of respect for sovereignty and local culture.” Nonetheless, some Haitians have welcomed the new mission with optimism.
Kenya has pledged 1,000 police officers to the international force, with 200 initially arriving. Conille informed the UN Security Council last week that the next contingent would arrive “very soon.”
The force will eventually include police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica, totaling 2,500 personnel.
Appointed by a transitional council in May, Prime Minister Conille has been urged by U.S. officials to prioritize establishing an electoral council as Haiti strives to rebuild its government. Conille’s primary task is to stabilize the country in preparation for democratic elections in February 2026.
Otunge highlighted the mission’s goal to “create security conditions conducive to holding free and fair elections.”
Haitian police chief Normil Rameau also addressed the nation, stating that the mission focuses on reclaiming areas from gang control, reinstating police presence in regions lacking authority, and assisting displaced Haitians in returning home. More than half a million people have been displaced by the violence.
Rameau and other Haitian authorities have withheld details of future operations for strategic reasons, aiming not to alert the gangs to their plans.
Haiti requested an international force to combat gangs in 2022, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealing for months for a leading country before Kenya stepped forward.
Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, and are now estimated to control up to 80 percent of Haiti’s capital. The surge in violence, including killings, rapes, and kidnappings, has spurred a violent uprising by civilian vigilante groups.
