Kenya and Haiti have entered a security agreement in an effort to save a proposal for Nairobi to send 1,000 police officers to the unstable Caribbean country in order to address the escalating problem of gang violence, which has reached record highs.
In October, Kenya accepted the responsibility of leading a UN-sanctioned global police force to Haiti. However, in January, the Kenyan high court declared this agreement unconstitutional, citing a lack of mutual agreements between the two nations.
On Friday, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, announced that he and Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, observed the signing of mutual agreements between their respective countries.
It was uncertain how the agreements would be able to bypass the court’s decision.
Ekuru Aukot, an opposition politician who brought forward the petition against the deployment, stated that he intends to file a case for “contempt of court”.
The speaker stated that it is becoming evident that William Ruto is not concerned about the laws or the constitution of the country. They plan to dispute the legitimacy of the undisclosed agreement.
During a public lecture at the United States International University in Kenya on Friday, Henry expressed the urgency of holding elections in his country in order to establish stability.
He stated the importance of holding elections to bring stability to the nation and promoting democratic leadership to attract investment in Haiti.
Since taking over as prime minister and interim president following the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, Henry has made repeated commitments to hold elections. However, he and other government officials claim that ongoing gang violence has prevented them from fulfilling this promise.
On Wednesday evening, Caribbean leaders announced that Henry has committed to organizing general elections no later than mid-2025.
When questioned about his safety in returning to his home from Kenya due to the increase in gang violence in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Henry simply shrugged his shoulders.
Unknown assailants carried out a series of attacks, including at Haiti’s primary airport and several police stations, causing chaos and confusion. In a separate incident, a police union reported that four officers, including two women, were fatally shot at a station near Canaan.
Due to the violent situation, the airport, local businesses, and government offices were all forced to shut down. Parents and young children were seen fleeing through the streets in a state of panic. Additionally, Sunrise Airways chose to halt all flights as a precaution.
The head of G9 Family and Allies, Jimmy Chérizier (also referred to as “Barbecue”), revealed in a video that his organization’s goal is to capture the police chief and government officials and hinder Henry’s homecoming to Haiti.
He stated that together with our weapons and the citizens of Haiti, we will liberate the nation.
Gangs have grown more powerful and political instability has increased since the assassination of Moïse, who had faced protests calling for his resignation over corruption charges and claims that his five-year term had expired.
In 2023, there were over 8,400 reports of people being killed, injured, or kidnapped in Haiti, which is more than twice the amount reported in 2022. The gangs are still engaged in battles for control over land and are believed to have dominance over 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Source: theguardian.com
