Kenya and the Dominican Republic solidified a critical agreement on Monday to enhance emergency support for Kenyan police deployed in Haiti’s UN-backed security operation, according to Africanews.
The deal, signed by Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and Kenya’s First Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, ensures Kenyan forces will receive urgent medical care and repatriation assistance if wounded or killed in the line of duty.
The multinational mission, led by Kenyan personnel, faced mounting challenges since its inception. Initially envisioned to include 2,500 officers, only 1,000 have been deployed amid chronic underfunding and staffing shortfalls.
Haitian police, supported by the mission, are struggling to curb gangs that control roughly 85% of Port-au-Prince. Recent assaults by armed groups targeted previously stable neighbourhoods, prompting locals to form defence alliances with security forces.
UN figures reveal the devastating human toll, as over 5,600 lives lost to gang violence in 2023, displacing more than one million people. A further 1,086 fatalities and 383 injuries were recorded between February and March this year alone. Kenyan officers, frequently caught in crossfire, have sustained multiple casualties, though exact numbers remain undisclosed.
The pact aims to mitigate risks for Kenyan personnel, yet questions linger over the mission’s capacity to restore stability.
