In a significant development aimed at addressing the surge in gang-related violence, over 80 military personnel from Guatemala and El Salvador landed in Haiti on Friday. This deployment marks a new phase in the Kenyan-led international effort to support Haiti’s beleaguered national police force, according to a local law enforcement spokesperson.
Deputy Police Spokesperson Lionel Lazarre disclosed that the current group comprises 75 Guatemalan and eight Salvadoran soldiers, with plans to welcome additional forces shortly. This latest reinforcement joins a diverse assembly of approximately 400 officers already stationed in Haiti since the mission’s inception in June of the previous year. While the majority of these troops are Kenyan, contributions also come from nations such as Jamaica and Belize, though the total envisioned strength is slated to reach 2,500.
Despite these efforts, the multinational contingent faces significant challenges due to limited resources as they confront Haiti’s formidable and heavily armed gangs. These criminal organizations have been implicated in a series of heinous acts, including murder, sexual violence, and kidnappings for ransom. The United Nations reports that these gangs exert control over roughly 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital, and the violence shows no signs of diminishing despite the ongoing intervention.
Tragically, recent confrontations have resulted in casualties, including the deaths of two journalists and a police officer during a gunfight on December 24th, as gangs clashed with security forces. The frequency and intensity of such attacks have been rising across various districts of the capital for over a month.
In early December, a particularly brutal incident saw more than 200 individuals lose their lives in what the UN describes as a targeted assault against practitioners of voodoo, orchestrated by a gang leader. The preceding month was marked by intense gunfire that forced the closure of Port-au-Prince’s airport to commercial flights, severely disrupting transportation and commerce.
In response to the persistent instability, Haiti’s transitional government has appealed to the United Nations to elevate the Kenyan-led mission to an official peacekeeping operation. However, this proposal faces resistance from major UN Security Council members China and Russia, who wield veto power and have expressed opposition to the change in the mission’s status.
As Haiti continues to grapple with deep-seated violence and political uncertainty, the international community remains divided on the most effective path forward to restore peace and security in the troubled Caribbean nation.
