A Kenyan police officer, part of the international security force operating in Haiti, lost his life in an altercation with gang members. This marks the first fatality for the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) in the country.

The MSS was deployed to Haiti in June of the previous year with the aim of restoring order to a nation where gang control extends over much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and significant parts of the countryside. In 2024, gang violence resulted in over 5,500 deaths and displaced over a million individuals.

Gen Godfrey Otunge, the commander of the multinational force, confirmed that the officer was injured during an operation in the Artibonite region, located north of the capital. The officer, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Jack Ombaka, the MSS spokesperson, stated that the officer was “killed while fighting for the people of Haiti,” highlighting his sacrifice.

The incident occurred in the town of Pont-Sondé, where the officer was shot by a gang member. General Otunge vowed that the MSS would relentlessly pursue the gangs involved.

Despite receiving reinforcements, including 200 additional Kenyan police officers, the MSS faces challenges as its capacity is overshadowed by the firepower and manpower of the gangs, who continue to illicitly obtain powerful weapons from the United States.

Recent developments have cast uncertainty over the MSS’s future, as the Trump administration imposed a freeze on foreign aid programs. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later granted a waiver for US funds earmarked for the MSS and Haiti’s National Police, although it remains uncertain whether the US government will support the transition of the MSS into a UN peacekeeping mission, which would ensure more stable funding.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62x3nyd6e4o