Kenyan police officers, as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti, collaborated with the Haitian National Police (HNP) on Thursday to recapture a police station that had been overrun by criminal gangs. This marked their third Forward Operating Base (FOB) after establishing others at the National Police Academy and Pont-Sonde.
The abandoned General Inspectorate of the National Police of Haiti (IGPNH) building is being renovated to serve as an operational MSS base. Despite resistance from gangs, the police, equipped with advanced weapons, regained control, forcing the gang members, including infamous leader Jimmy Chérisier, known as “Barbecue,” to retreat.
The Kenyan team arrived in Haiti in June 2024 and has since operated in various areas, helping stabilize volatile regions amid escalating gang violence. However, concerns persist about long-term solutions, as temporary evacuations may allow gangs to regain control.
Haiti continues to grapple with widespread violence, with gangs dominating 80% of Port-au-Prince. UNICEF has reported a 70% increase in child recruitment by armed groups in the past year, with children now comprising nearly half of gang memberships. This rise is attributed to escalating violence, poverty, and collapsing infrastructure.
UNICEF has urged all parties to prioritize child welfare and reverse this disturbing trend. Meanwhile, the MSS’s one-year mandate, renewed by the UN in September, aims to address the worsening security crisis.
