Merged image of President William Ruto (left) and Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille (right). IMAGE: Courtesy
In Summary:
- Kenya has signed a legal agreement with Haiti to deploy police officers to the Caribbean nation.
- The agreement outlines the conduct and operations of the troops but does not specify the deployment date.
The governments of Kenya and Haiti have finalized a legal agreement for the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti. Representatives from both nations signed the agreement on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Present at the signing were Gandy Thomas, Haiti’s acting representative to the United States, and Lazarus Amayo, the Kenyan ambassador to the US. Cristobal Dupouy, the special representative of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States in Haiti, also attended the event.
The agreement specifies the conduct and operational guidelines for the troops in Haiti, including base locations and troop movements. However, the exact deployment date remains undisclosed.
This development follows the recent replacement of Haiti’s national police chief by Prime Minister Garry Conille.
This change is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s security forces ahead of the mission.
Conille stated that the leadership change was necessary to rejuvenate the police force and improve its effectiveness against gang-related violence.
“We decided it was time for new leadership to bring fresh energy to the police force,” Conille explained.
Dupouy confirmed the agreement and emphasized that this step would expedite the deployment process.
Additional countries involved in the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) are expected to sign the documents as well.
These countries include Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guyana, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, and Chad.