A Kenyan police officer injured in exchange of gunfire with gangs in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Officials from the Multinational Security and Support (MSS) mission in Haiti confirmed that a Kenyan police officer was injured during an exchange of gunfire with armed bandits attempting to rob a cargo truck near the Port-au-Prince main seaport on Tuesday afternoon. The Kenyan officer, hit in the left shoulder at the acromioclavicular joint, was urgently transported to the hospital.

In a statement from the multinational force, the high command specified that the truck driver, who was transporting rice for distribution in the Haitian capital, was killed by the bandits during the incident. The officials explained that the exchange of fire occurred when the multinational mission patrol team traveled along the road from the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH) to the National Port of Port-au-Prince and observed an attack and looting by suspected gangsters.

This is the first victim among the Kenyan police officers from gunfire by armed gangs in Haiti since the deployment of the first contingent on June 25.

“The officer is upbeat and is in stable condition awaiting further medical attention,” said the high command of the multinational mission, adding that the gangs fled with serious injuries, taking refuge in the tall buildings from which they were shooting.

The incident occurred a day after the convoy of Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, secured by Haitian and Kenyan police, narrowly escaped gunfire from armed bandits as he was leaving the University of Haiti Hospital after taking questions a pool of local and international journalists, including a reporter from CNN.

This moment of tension endangered the lives of the Haitian prime minister and everyone else in the area. A video that went viral on Monday evening showed Kenyan police officers and journalists taking refuge inside the hospital to avoid being hit by gang bullets. Bullet impacts have been clearly visible on the hospital’s exterior surfaces.

Haiti finds itself trapped in insecurity and unstable political conditions, some say

Recent incidents underscore the dangerous environment in Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs control significant portions of the city. Haiti’s transition government counts heavily on the MSS mission’s efforts in supporting the Haitian National Police (PNH) to restore and sciopolitical stability in the nation. However, the challenges faced by the MSS led by Kenyan police officers remain daunting. The mission, authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023 and faced with logistical and financial obstacles, has yet to take full shape and be up to the speed on the ground.

Recent reports from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) indicate a high level of violence, with significant casualties and kidnappings attributed to gang activities. The international community is urged to expedite the full deployment of the MSS mission to address the escalating violence and support the Haitian government’s efforts to reclaim control.

According to BINUH, in the second quarter of 2024, gang violence resulted in 1,397 people killed or injured and 428 kidnappings, a drop from the first quarter’s 2,505 casualties, representing a 45% decrease in murders and shootings and a 2% decrease in kidnappings. 

Most victims (88%) of these incidents were in the West department, and 73% of kidnappings occurred in the Artibonite department, leading the Haitian government to declare a state of security emergency in these areas. BINUH’s July 30 report highlights that the capital saw the highest number of victims due to gang attacks, executions of suspected collaborators and clashes involving gangs, “self-defense” groups, and police operations, all of which have severely impacted the population’s safety.

While awaiting the MSS to be up to full speed, PNH continues to resist

During a press conference on Tuesday, the director general of the Haitian police, Rameau Normil, reported that 104 bandits have been killed, 65 arrested and some already brought before the courts under the state of security emergency declared by the government. 

In the commune of Gressier alone, more than 40 armed bandits have been killed. Additionally, police interventions have led to the confiscation of 19 firearms, the seizure of seven vehicles, the capture of five fugitives and the seizure of 9.24 kg of cocaine. 

However, the PNH’s report has sparked mixed reactions on social media and in WhatsApp groups. Some internet users are calling for actions against the powerful gang leaders, while others lament that, despite the police’s efforts, gangs continue to impose their own rules on the country.

The post A Kenyan police officer injured in exchange of gunfire with gangs in Haiti appeared first on The Haitian Times.