P-au-P, 24 from 2024 [AlterPresse] — The next deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (Mmas) in Haitiwhich should be led by Kenya, would aim to crush the armed gangs ravaging this country, declared, Thursday, May 23, 2024, Kenyan President William Ruto, cited by Agence France Presse (Afp), consulted by the AlterPresse online agency.
Kenya and other countries that deploy their troops in Haiti will have to “secure this country and break up the gangs and criminals who have caused untold suffering in this country,” he insists.
Ruto made the remarks at a press conference alongside US President Joseph Robinette Biden, known as Joe Biden, during a state visit to Washington, United States of America.
The multinational mission would deal, “firmly and decisively”, “within the law”, gangs and criminals, who have neither status nor religion, Ruto says.
For his part, praising Kenya’s “first-rate capabilities”, Joe Biden displayed his optimism regarding the resolution of the crisis in Haiti.
Biden also welcomed Kenya’s willingness to help and promised the support of the United States government in intelligence and equipment, in the hope of stabilizing the situation in Haiti in difficulty.
Having been authorized by the United Nations Security Council since Monday October 2, 2023, the deployment of the Mmas in Haiti follows to a robust request for assistance, made on Friday October 7, 2022, by the de facto government of Ariel Henry in favor of the Haitian National Police (PNH), in the fight against armed gangs.
Delays and ongoing legal proceedings, main obstacles to the deployment of Mmas
Delays and an ongoing legal proceeding, which seeks to ban the deployment of Mmas, could derail the intervention, warns the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.
The initially planned arrival of Kenyan police officers in Haiti on Thursday, May 23, 2024, was abruptly postponed without official explanation, according to the independent civil society organization.
An exploratory team found Haiti poorly prepared for the deployment and that the construction of the barracks intended to accommodate the Kenyan contingent was incomplete, it reported citing sources within Kenya’s Interior Ministry.
The arrival of the Kenyan contingent was timed to coincide with Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Washington, the first state visit by an African head of state since 2008, she recalled.
Ruto arrived, on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Atlanta, United States of America, as part of this historic state visit, during which discussions were held with the Biden administration on the deployment of this force in Haiti.
A delegation of Kenyan officials also arrived, on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Haiti, to inspect the construction of the base to accommodate the multinational Mission, located not far from the international airport of Port-au-Prince, indicated an article in the American newspaper Miami Herald.
The first Kenyan contingent is expected to consist of a few hundred police officers and support staff, according to sources cited by the Miami Herald newspaper.
A first group of Kenyan officers should prepare the ground for the arrival of the next, larger group, according to a senior Kenyan interior ministry official.
At a joint press conference on Thursday, May 23, 2024 in Washington, Presidents Biden and Ruto reaffirmed their commitment to the deployment of the Mmas, without providing details on the delays, nor on the official date of arrival of the first contingent of force, reports the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.
Legal obstacle to the deployment of Mmas
A new complaint was filed on Friday, May 17, 2024, before the High Court of Kenya, by the leader of the Kenyan political party Thirdway Alliance, Ekuru Aukot, former Kenyan presidential candidate and opponent of Ruto against the deployment of Mmas.
By deploying the Kenyan police in Haiti, the Kenyan government is ignoring a court order of January 2024, which qualified this deployment in Haiti as unconstitutional and illegal, denounces the applicant, invoking contempt of court and other irregularities.
The hearing date has been set for June 2, 2024 by the High Court of Kenya.
A first hearing, held in January 2024, temporarily blocked the deployment, on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.
A reciprocal agreement between Kenya and Haiti was then required by Judge Chacha Mwita, to allow the deployment of Kenyan police abroad.
Following the Kenyan court’s decision, Ruto and the de facto Haitian Prime Minister at the time, Ariel Henry, signed a bilateral agreement in March 2024 to circumvent this legal obstacle.
Mmas under overall control of the Haitian National Police
Haiti, through the Haitian National Police, will have overall control over the operations, on the ground, of the Multinational Security Support Mission (Mmas)specified the Presidential Transitional Council (Cpt), in a note.
A working session took place between members of the Cpt and the High Staff of the National Police of Haiti (Pnh) around the deployment of the multinational force.
Whether it is the composition, objectives, rules of engagement and health control of the troops, everything will be coordinated and supervised by the Haitian police authorities, underlines Cpt.
Intensification of armed attacks against police stations, in a context of deployment of the Mmas
Various attacks by armed gangs against police stations and sub-stations continue in Haiti, in a context of acceleration of the deployment process of the Multinational Mission on the ground
Since the beginning of March 2024, armed gangs have been carrying out a plan, aiming to demolish several police station spaces and sub-police stations in the West department, particularly in the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
On the night of Wednesday May 22 to Thursday May 23, 2024, armed bandits destroyed the police station of Grand Ravin (south of the capital, Port-au-Prince), after chasing away several people who used this space as a refuge.
On the evening of Tuesday, May 21, 2024, armed gangs again vandalized the area of the police substation in Martissant.
Images circulating on social media show the seriously damaged parts of the building, under the control of armed gangs since June 2021.
On Tuesday May 21, 2024, the Cesselesse police substation (Lilavois, Bon Repos, north) was set on fire by thugs.
From January to March 2024, more than 2,500 people, including at least 82 children, had been killed or injured in armed gang violence in Haitiaccording to the United Nations. [emb rc apr 24/05/2024 11:40]
