Deploy more police, Haiti PM Garry Conille urges President Ruto
Members of a Kenyan police force, part of a new security mission, stand at the airport after disembarking, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 25, 2024. (Inset) Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille has called for the deployment of additional Kenyan police officers to deal with the gangs that have caused mayhem in the Caribbean nation.
Mr Conille told journalists at a press conference on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, that he was expecting more of the Kenyan police officers in the coming weeks.
"It will happen quickly. We can already see in the coming weeks that we will have a second contingent," he said.
Over the past week, Mr Conille has been holding a series of meetings in the US regarding the deployment of police officers to Haiti. He has held talks with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other White House officials.
The US is a top funder in the United Nations (UN) approved Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission which is being led by Kenya’s Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Godfrey Otunge.
A source in Haiti told the Nation that a lot has to be achieved before more Kenyan officers can be sent to Haiti, pointing out that construction of the camp where the officers will stay was still ongoing.
Haiti gangs
The US is also supposed to give the officers more equipment.
“Internet connectivity is another issue; we need to ensure the officers are in regular communication with their families back at home,” said the source.
The source further dismissed claims that some Kenyan officers had been killed in a fire-fight with the gangs.
“We are all intact, do not buy the propaganda that is being spread by the gangs,” he said.
His comments came barely a day after Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome termed the claims as false and malicious.
“We wish to clarify that the officers were not only received warmly by the great people of Haiti on arrival but are also all safe and ready to discharge their clear and specific mandate,” said Mr Koome. Our source in Haiti said locals were so willing to work with the Kenyan officers.
“Already, we are on with preparatory meetings between the Kenyan and Haitian officers with the aim of understanding the terrain,” said our source.
According to the source, the propaganda regarding the killing of Kenyan policemen was a ploy by the gangs to instil fear among officers in other countries, who are yet to deploy to Haiti.
Humanitarian law
Benin, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Spain have all pledged to send their officers.
Officers who will be part of the mission will not pay taxes and will be subjected to the MSS Standard operation procedures that borrow from the UN international humanitarian law.
“Any criminal prosecution will be conducted in the country of origin of the involved police officer,” part of the agreement signed by Kenya and Haiti reads.
