Haiti receives support from Kenya, which is leading a multinational police operation, in an attempt to curb the totally dominant and completely devastating gang criminality in the country.
About 400 police officers from Kenya have tried to stop the gangs during the summer. However, after two months of police presence, analysts conclude that Kenya's police have made no progress, and that efforts to build a national police force, with UN support, in Haiti have stalled.
Lacking Personnel
The Kenyan force "lacks both sufficient personnel and equipment to carry out a comprehensive operation against the gangs," says Diego Da Rin of the think tank International Crisis Group, which is following developments in the Caribbean nation.
The cost of the operation is estimated to exceed six billion kronor, with the US covering half of it through material and vehicle support, among other things.
However, Kenya initially promised that 1,000 police officers would arrive in Haiti, which they have not managed to do. Additionally, forces from several African countries and neighboring Caribbean countries were supposed to participate, with the number of police officers expected to reach 2,500. This has not happened either.
Gangs Not Intimidated
I thought they (the police) would restore peace and help our country's police. But I am very worried, and I cannot sleep at night due to all the explosions, says Watson Laurent, who drives a motorcycle taxi, to AFP. He notes that the criminal gangs are not even afraid of the police.
The heavily armed gangs took control of parts of Haiti when former Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced out of power. Currently, gangs control around 80 percent of the capital city Port-au-Prince.
