- Kenyan peacekeeper missing during rescue mission in Port-au-Prince
- Gangs control 85% of capital amid 1 million displaced civilians
- Mission faces equipment shortages and frozen U.S. funding
- Second Kenyan officer fatality in 2024 sparks political backlash
The disappearance of a Kenyan police officer during a UN-backed security operation in Haiti has intensified scrutiny of the mission’s capacity to combat rampant gang violence. Specialized search teams combed Port-au-Prince’s volatile streets after attackers sabotaged a rescue convoy with strategically dug trenches. This incident follows February’s deadly shooting of another Kenyan officer, whose funeral last week fueled domestic demands for improved tactical gear.
Over a million Haitians have fled their homes since 2021 as armed groups systematically torch neighborhoods. Makeshift camps now house displaced families in conditions the UN calls catastrophic,with cholera outbreaks reported in seven districts. The security vacuum has enabled gangs to expand territorial control from 72% to 85% of the capital since June.
Strategic analysts highlight parallels with Somalia’s AMISOM mission, where under-equipped African Union forces struggled against al-Shabaab militants until 2017 armored vehicle upgrades reduced casualties by 40%. Haiti’s urban terrain demands armored personnel carriers and drone surveillance – neither currently deployed,noted security expert Fatima Diallo. This equipment gap becomes critical as gangs adopt military-grade weapons, including .50 caliber rifles intercepted at Port-au-Prince’s port last month.
The mission’s $250 million budget faces uncertainty after U.S. lawmakers froze $95 million in pledged support. This financial blow compounds recruitment challenges – only 800 of Kenya’s promised 1,000 officers have deployed. Jamaica and Benin recently pledged 350 combined personnel, but training delays mean operational readiness remains months away.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga argues: Our officers are fighting 21st-century gangs with 20th-century tools.Parliament will debate body armor procurement next week, while families of deployed officers demand combat hazard pay increases from $200 to $500 monthly.