December 23, 2024
This Friday, July 19, Presidential Advisor Leslie Voltaire met with the highest authorities of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission at the Kenyan police base in Clercine. This meeting, which included discussions with the Head of the Kenyan contingent in Haiti, Godfrey Otunga, aimed to address the major security challenges facing Haiti.
Accompanied by the Director General of the Haitian National Police, Rameau Normil, Voltaire also had the opportunity to have breakfast with the Kenyan soldiers, thus strengthening ties between the two teams.
Since June 25, a first contingent of 200 Kenyan police officers has been deployed to Haiti, followed by a second group of 200 police officers arriving on July 16. The forces are part of an international mission to restore security in Haiti, a country plagued by intense gang violence. Kenya has offered to send a total of one thousand police officers for the mission, alongside contributions from Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, the Bahamas, and Barbados, making a total force of 2,500.
The MSS, initially planned for a period of one year until October 2024, has the mission of supporting the Haitian police in their operations against gangs and crime, securing critical infrastructure, and allowing safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid for civilians. This mission is crucial to restoring stability and security in Haiti, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution approved on October 2, 2023.