20 Kenyan police officers serving in Haiti resign

A section of Kenyan police officers currently serving in Haiti have resigned.

The 20 officers who have resigned are part of 400 officers who were deployed in Haiti on a UN-backed anti-gang force to restore peace in the troubled nation.

According to Reuters, the officers submitted their letters two months ago over pay delays.

Reuters in its article said the officers had not however received any response to their resignation letters and continue to serve the now transformed Multinational Security Support mission.

The reports come days after the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja denied the claims that the officers in Haiti were experiencing salary delays.

READ: Kenya-led Haiti mission to transition into a UN peacekeeping operation

Kanja in a media briefing said as a matter of fact, the officers had been paid up to October.

Earlier in the year, Kenya signed a deal with Haiti to deploy 1,000 of its officers to tackle gang violence.

The deal came after the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2699, authorising a multinational security support mission to Haiti.

Since June this year, Kenya has deployed 400 officers who are currently leading the MSS mission.

According to reports, the entire mission is meant to comprise about 2,500 officers drawn from 10 countries.

Kenya would be the largest contributor of its personnel with 1,000 officers.

The officers who unanimously spoke to Reuters indicated that more officers including a unit commander had also resigned.

ALSO READ: Kenya’s Haiti mission budget to last until March 2025, says Ruto

Haiti has been rocked by instability since 2021 when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated.

Heavily armed gangs have sought to fill the vacuum, seizing up to 85 per cent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and expanding their violent grip to some areas beyond it.

The violence has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 700,000 people — of whom the UN says about half are children.

A record 5.4 million Haitians are facing acute hunger with the World Food Programme saying famine-like conditions are present, particularly in shelters for the displaced in Port-au-Prince.

Children are particularly vulnerable, and at least 125,000 are estimated to be acutely malnourished.