Kenyan Force Commander rejects rescue claims after encounters with Haiti armed gangs

The force commander of the Kenyan police support mission in Haiti, Godfrey Otunge, has refuted allegations that his forces required rescue by Haitian police after being fired upon by armed gangs during a recent joint operation.

According to an interview with the Miami Herald, Otunge clarified that while his officers were indeed fired upon during the operation with the Haiti National Police (HNP) in rural Ganthier, near the Dominican Republic border, the two forces collaborated effectively and returned fire together.

"At no given time did the HNP or MSS seem to be competing with each other," Otunge emphasized during his interview with the Miami Herald.

The Kenyan police force was deployed to Haiti under a United Nations Security Council mandate to support the Haitian police in combatting gangs that control more than 80% of the Haitian capital.

The mission, largely funded by the US government, has faced scrutiny both in Kenya and Haiti.

Kenyan lawmakers and citizens have expressed concerns about the mission, with some activists and lawyers attempting to block the deployment in court.

Haitian Army personnel patrol the Champs de Mars neighbourhood, following the arrival of the first contingent of Kenyan police as part of a peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 30, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo)

Despite these concerns, President William Ruto approved the deployment.

In Haiti, the mission's effectiveness has also come under criticism.

Le Nouvelliste's editor-in-chief, Frantz Duval, pointed to the operation in Ganthier as an example of unmet promises by the US and Canada to help restore security in Haiti.

Duval claimed that during the operation when things went wrong, it was the Haitian National Police that provided cover for the Kenyan forces, as the Haitians were better equipped.

Though Duval did not disclose his sources, his comments reflect growing frustration in Haiti.

Reports indicate that since the mission's deployment, armed gangs have taken control of Ganthier and are threatening other cities near the capital.

In a recent meeting with international partners in Port-au-Prince, Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille expressed dissatisfaction with the mission's limitations, citing the need for more personnel, equipment, and funding.

Despite the challenges, Otunge has maintained that the collaboration between the Kenyan and Haitian forces remains strong and effective.