The Kenya-led international security force has officially begun operations in Haiti, aiming to assist the Haitian police in combating armed gangs.
It is however not going to be an easy walk in the park as gang leaders have vowed to take the Kenyan force head-on.
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier encouraged armed men to attack the Kenyan police, vowing to resist until the end: “I don’t care if they are white or black. If they’re not Haitian and they’re on Haitian soil, they’re invaders,” he said.
The U.S. is the main financial supporter of this Kenya-led force, which the United Nations has approved to be sent to Haiti to help its police address the armed gangs that have caused a humanitarian crisis in the country.
Haiti’s former government first requested this force in 2022, and the initial deployment of Kenyan police arrived this week. However, it remains unclear when the rest of the force, expected to exceed 2,500 personnel, will arrive.
As Kenyan police, dressed in khaki uniforms, bullet-proof jackets, and helmets, patrolled the city in black armored vans, Port-au-Prince residents expressed hope that the force could end the indiscriminate violence and allow businesses to reopen.
“We need peace. If the Kenyan police forces are here, it’s so we can return to the lives we used to have. We hope they’ve come to work seriously,” said resident Kloud Dine.
“We need the Kenyans here a while here because the gang members make us suffer too much,” added Louise Baret, a painter. “Enough is enough.”
