Kenya Boosts Its Presence in Haiti's Anti-Gang Mission with 600 More Officers

Kenya will deploy an additional 600 police officers to Haiti to enhance its role in an international anti-gang mission, following a commitment from President William Ruto. The effort aims to support the Multinational Security Support initiative, which currently has 430 deployed troops and faces challenges from armed gangs in Haiti.

In a strategic move to combat escalating gang violence in Haiti, Kenya has announced it will send 600 additional police officers. This move comes under the leadership of President William Ruto, aiming to strengthen the Multinational Security Support (MSS) initiative.

Since the United Nations authorized the mission's start in June, only 430 troops have been deployed, with almost 400 from Kenya. Despite these efforts, heavily armed gangs continue to control substantial parts of Port-au-Prince, leading to one of the deadliest recent attacks by the Gran Grif gang last week.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille expressed gratitude for the swift response of the Kenyan-led forces. With over 700,000 people displaced and five million facing hunger, the U.N.'s recent authorization has extended the MSS mandate by another year, following amendments to the original plan due to international opposition.

(With inputs from agencies.)