Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Friday that his government will send an additional 600 police officers to support the UN-backed mission addressing escalating violence in Haiti. Speaking at a joint press conference in Nairobi with Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille, Ruto revealed that the officers are nearing the end of their pre-deployment training and will be ready to join the mission next month. Kenya’s total commitment is expected to reach 2,500 personnel, with 400 officers already deployed.
Ruto urged the international community to bolster support for the mission, which has been hampered by inadequate funding. “This is the moment to provide that critical support for us to be able to undertake the exercise at hand,” he emphasized.
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Prime Minister Conille echoed Ruto’s call, noting that while constructive talks with international partners have occurred, more financial commitment and swift action are needed to combat the ongoing crisis in Haiti.
Conille’s visit comes in the wake of a devastating gang attack in the town of Ponte Sonde, where 109 people were killed, and dozens more wounded. Conille condemned the violence and stressed that security forces are continuing efforts to stabilize affected areas.
The UN Security Council recently extended the Haiti mission for another year but stopped short of transforming it into a full-fledged peacekeeping operation. Haiti remains in the grip of widespread gang violence, which has led to over 3,600 deaths and displaced more than 700,000 people this year. Despite receiving UN approval, the current mission is not officially run by the UN, raising concerns about its long-term effectiveness in one of the world’s poorest nations.
