Haiti - June 2024

The first UN-backed contingent of police from Kenya, has arrived in Haiti to address a surge in gang violence that led to a severe humanitarian crisis in the country. The mission is the result of UN Security Council Resolution 2699, approved in 2023, with the mandate of providing “operational support” to the Haitian National Police to regain control of the country. Additional forces from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica are expected to join the contingent as well. Their mission is to stabilize Haiti's security crisis, including gangs’ control of 80 per cent of the capital, and to regain control of key infrastructure such as airports, ports and hospitals and highways. After months of anticipation, there is caution due to past failures of foreign interventions in Haiti to secure lasting peace, as well as scandals that have emerged around them. These include the UN’s previous mission, which ended in 2017 and faced criticism for sexual abuse and cholera outbreaks. The Kenyan police will support but not replace the Haitian National Police, aiming to restore order while avoiding a security vacuum post-mission.

Sources: Haitian Times, New York Times, AP News, El Pais, UN Security Council