Kenyan police deployed for controversial UN-backed peacekeeping mission in Haiti

A contingent of 400 Kenyan police officers, the first of a 1,000-strong force, departed early Tuesday (25 June) for a controversial UN-backed mission in Haiti to combat the influence of powerful criminal gangs that have brought turmoil and violence to the Caribbean nation.
A day earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto held a ceremony in the capital Nairobi to flag off the first group of 400 police officers who will participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. Wishing them luck, Ruto told the officers that “this mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity,” adding that “it is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a mission to take a stand for humanity.” Ruto also noted that his country “will work with the international community to bring lasting stability in Haiti.”
The mission was authorized by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in October last year, under Resolution 2699, but the deployment has since faced several delays and legal challenges, including being declared illegal by the Kenyan High Court. The deployment comes amid a surge in violence and political instability in Haiti, with powerful gangs controlling large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and overwhelming local authorities. The mission is backed by the United Nations, the United States has pledged $100 million in funding if approved by Congress, and also several other countries including Canada, Jamaica and Senegal, have expressed their support for the initiative.