Haitian forces, in collaboration with police officers from Kenya, have initiated a joint operation to drive criminal gangs out of one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, Prime Minister Garry Conille announced last week.
Speaking at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Conille provided an update on the operation while visiting three Haitian policemen who were injured during a shootout in the gang-controlled neighborhood of Bel Air. The area is notorious for its high levels of violence and poverty.
“I am tired of seeing police officers being shot. I am tired of going to police officers’ funerals. We must solve this insecurity problem,” Conille stated.
While Conille did not offer additional details about the operation and declined to take questions during his brief news conference, he urged the Haitian public to cooperate with law enforcement by providing information that could help reduce crime.
Haiti has experienced a surge in violence this year, with more than 3,200 killings reported between January and May. Gangs now control 80% of Port-au-Prince, displacing over half a million people as they battle for control of more territory.
“It’s not going to be quick,” Conille warned. “We must be patient.”
Earlier last week, a police union reported that a female officer, Michelle Nathanielle Megine, was killed on her way to work, with her vehicle riddled with more than a dozen bullet holes. Megine is one of roughly two dozen officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty this year.
To help combat the escalating gang violence, a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya has deployed around 400 police officers to Haiti. In the coming months, additional police and soldiers from countries including Benin, Chad, and Jamaica are expected to join, bringing the total number of foreign personnel to 2,500.
The U.S. military announced on Friday that it would deliver 24 additional armored vehicles to support the Kenyan personnel leading the security operation in Haiti. The U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom) will transport the mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) MaxxPros to Port-au-Prince’s main airport via U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft.
These deliveries will bolster an existing fleet of 10 U.S.-provided MRAPs, with 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, or “turrets,” also being installed to enhance the vehicles’ effectiveness during joint operations with Haitian police.
