Kenyan Security Forces Reach Haiti for Peacekeeping Mission

Facts

• In a ceremony on Monday, Kenyan Pres. William Ruto wished a 400-strong Kenyan police force good fortune as they departed for Haiti as part of an effort to maintain peace and security in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation.¹
• Kenya has agreed to lead a multinational force and send up to 1K officers to combat the widespread violence in Haiti, where gangs rule much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and stand accused of murders, kidnappings, and acts of sexual violence.²
• The first unit of the UN-approved multinational mission reached Haiti on Tuesday and deboarded at Toussaint Louverture international airport, close to Port-au-Prince.³
• According to US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the multinational police force will restore order on the island and 'help create the security conditions conducive to future, free, and fair elections,'⁴
• Last October, the UN Security Council approved the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. Last week, Kenya and Haiti signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) stipulating mission guidelines.⁵
• Last October, the UN Security Council approved the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. Last week, Kenya and Haiti signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) stipulating mission guidelines.⁶
• The multinational force will consist of 1.5K police officers and soldiers from various African, Asian, and Caribbean nations — such as Benin, Chad, Bangladesh, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica — in addition to the 1K Kenyan police personnel.⁷

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera (a), ²News24, ³Al Jazeera (b), ⁴Miamiherald, ⁵The East African, ⁶The Haitian Times (a) and ⁷The Haitian Times (b).

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Africanews. After several delays, the first 400 Kenyan police officers have finally arrived in Port-au-Prince to bring relief to Haitians, who have long suffered from severe gang violence. All eyes are now on the multinational force to restore order and deliver optimism and stability to a poor country. The world needs to act swiftly to stem the bloodshed in Haiti, and this will hopefully only be the beginning of an international humanitarian effort.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Foreign Policy. The Kenyan police force tasked with breaking the stronghold of vicious gangs in Port-au-Prince is an outsourced invasion funded by Washington. Since the island gained independence from France in 1804, the US has sponsored seven interventions in Haiti, none of which have been particularly successful, with sexual assault charges marring the most recent mission. There is a lot at risk here, and the world community cannot afford another failure.

Predictions