Haiti: the Prime Minister relieved by the arrival of Kenyan police officers

Haiti: the Prime Minister relieved by the arrival of Kenyan police officers

Prime Minister Garry Conille thanked the East African country for its solidarity, noting that gangs have vandalized homes and hospitals and burned libraries, making Haiti "unlivable."

Alongside a small group of Kenyan officers, Garry Conille said the Haitian government was "determined to resolve the problems."

Asked about comments by a gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, aka Barbecue, who said he would be willing to negotiate with the government, but that the gangs should first lay down their weapons and "respect the authority of the state," the prime minister said the Haitian government was "determined to resolve the problems."

The prime minister said Kenyan police would be deployed in the coming days, but did not give details of his first mission.

Mr. Conille was accompanied by Monica Juma, former Kenyan foreign minister, now national security adviser to President William Ruto.

She said Kenyans "are united in their commitment to support the Haitian National Police."

Mr. Juma greeted the press and the authorities by launching a "Hakuna Matata", which can be freely translated into Swahili as "there are no problems or concerns".

Kenyans are first contingent of UN-backed foreign police to arrive in Haiti, almost two years after the troubled Caribbean country urgently requested help to quell rising violence gangs.

They will have to face violent gangs who control 80% of the Haitian capital and who have left more than 580,000 people in the country by looting neighborhoods in their quest for control of the territory. Gangs have also killed several thousand people in recent years.

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