Photos of Kenyan police patrolling Haiti streets emerges

Freshly deployed Kenyan police officers have begun patrolling Port-au-Prince as part of a UN-backed mission aimed at combating armed gangs that have seized control of the capital.

On Friday, the team conducted patrols in the streets and main port, working alongside local officers to establish familiarity and maintain order, officials reported.

Meanwhile, Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille departed Port-au-Prince on Friday for Washington and New York, accompanied by Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, Finance Minister Ketleen Florestal, and Chief of Staff Nesmy Manigat. Justice Minister Carlos Hercule will assume the role of acting prime minister during his absence.

"The delegation will engage in crucial meetings with officials from international financial institutions and inspect Haiti's embassy in Washington," Conille's office stated, providing no further details.

The United States, principal financier of a Kenya-led international security force endorsed by the United Nations, has dispatched these forces to Haiti to aid local police in combating armed gangs that have plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis. Haiti initially requested this force in 2022, with the first contingent of Kenyan police arriving this week.

As Kenyan police patrolled Port-au-Prince in armored vans, residents expressed hope that the presence of this force would quell indiscriminate violence and facilitate the resumption of normal life.

"We desperately need peace. If the Kenyan police are here, it's to restore our former way of life. We hope they are committed to making a serious impact," remarked Kloud Dine, a local resident.

"We welcome the Kenyans because the gangs have inflicted unbearable suffering on us," added Louise Baret, a local artist, according to local media reports.

The violence has displaced over half a million people from their homes, and half the population faces food insecurity.

The initial group of 400 Kenyan police officers began arriving in Haiti on June 25. Kenya, leading a 2,500-member security force, has collaborated with the Haitian government to establish rules of engagement for these personnel, anticipating resistance from heavily armed local gangs.

Over 1,000 police officers from various countries, including Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritius, will join the effort in Haiti to combat the gangs terrorizing the population.