(Port-au-Prince) The government of Haiti said on Sunday that it still hoped for a “prompt and positive outcome” after a court in Nairobi blocked Kenya’s sending of police officers as part of a security mission.
Nairobi had said it was ready to send up to 1,000 police officers to Haiti, but on Friday the country’s High Court blocked the government’s decision, deeming it “unconstitutional, illegal and invalid.” However, the UN gave the green light in October to this force, also supported by the United States.
The Haitian government indicated in a press release on Sunday “to follow the evolution of the file in Kenya and to expect a prompt and positive outcome”.
He “thanks the many countries which have come forward to offer him different types of aid in order to restore order and security as soon as possible”, continues the press release which “invites the Haitian people to keep calm” and “not to not allow ourselves to be caught in the trap of intimidation by disinformation campaigns and threats of violence.”
The Kenyan court’s decision sows doubt about the future of this mission supported by the United Nations and long requested by Port-au-Prince to deal with the chronic outbreak of violence on the island.
The Kenyan government has indicated its intention to appeal the court’s decision. Its president William Ruto described his country’s commitment as a “mission for humanity”.
Gang violence in Haiti, the poorest country on the American continent, has left nearly 5,000 dead, including more than 2,700 civilians, in 2023, according to a UN report.
The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 plunged the country into chaos. No elections have taken place since 2016 and the presidency remains vacant.
The mission, initially approved for one year, provided for the Kenyan police to support their Haitian counterparts, outnumbered and outgunned by gang members.