(Port-au-Prince) A first contingent from Jamaica and Belize, after Kenyan police this summer, arrived in Haiti on Thursday as part of a multinational mission intended to help the crisis-ridden country deal with gang violence.
The group, made up of 20 Jamaican soldiers and four police officers, as well as two soldiers from Belize, is in addition to the 400 Kenyan officers already deployed on the ground and will have to prepare for the arrival of other troops from countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
“I am happy that the Caricom advance team is now here, and we will be conducting further security operations, because they are coming with a special force,” Kenyan Commander Godfrey Otunge said at a welcoming ceremony at the Port-au-Prince airport.
The Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) is “now a fully multinational mission” with the arrival of officers from these two Caribbean nations, he rejoiced.
Despite some successes in targeted operations, the security situation remains very critical in Haiti. National roads are still occupied by armed gangs, who control more than 80% of the capital.
Haiti has long suffered from gang violence, but in recent months it has escalated, causing a serious humanitarian crisis, with nearly 600,000 people displaced in the country, according to the UN.
These gangs are accused of numerous murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings for ransom.