Haitian National police SWAT unit and Kenyan Police rush trough a steep hill to board an armoured vehicle in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 28, 2024.
A Kenyan police officer who was injured during a battle with gangs in Haiti is undergoing treatment, Nation has learnt.
The officer sustained injuries during an operation in July by officers from the UN-backed international policing mission led by Kenya.
He was evacuated to a hospital in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, where a source said he “is doing well.”
The Nation has learnt that the officer had joined his colleagues in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in an operation where a gunfight with gangs ensued. The officer was shot in the gun battle.
An officer, who spoke in confidence as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said the injured officer was responding well to treatment.
“The officer is still undergoing treatment ever since he was injured but we are aware that he is doing well,” said the officer.
When the officer was injured, he was rushed to a dispensary which is located in the officers’ camp within Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Thereafter, he was airlifted to the Dominican Republic.
It remains unclear why a decision to send him to the neighbouring country was made, but sources told Nation that at the time, the facility where they were supposed to be treated was not well equipped.
Kenya has sent 400 police officers to Haiti. The first slot of 200 officers left Nairobi in June and weeks later the other contingent followed.
On Wednesday, the US government sanctioned Prophane Victor who is a notorious Haiti gang leader.
According to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Victor is accused of training, arming, and financially supporting the gangs that have made the Caribbean nation ungovernable.
The politician is also accused of working alongside Luckson Elan, who is in charge of another gang, the Gran Grif. The gang, which operates in Artibonite District within Port-au-Prince, has troubled the international police force.
“Victor and Elan, through their influence over or leadership of the gangs in Haiti, have sought to perpetuate the horrific violence and instability,” said acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley T. Smith.
Smith said the Treasury Department remains committed to “holding accountable those who seek to leverage human rights abuses, violence, and corruption to achieve their political aims.”
In the most recent United Nations (UN) panel of experts’ report, the two were identified as key figures responsible for the crisis in Haiti.
The report described the gang-related violence as unprecedented, citing “indiscriminate attacks against the population and the obstruction of humanitarian aid.”
It also highlighted the rise of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly rape, as one of the most horrific forms of violence over the past two years.
“Promoting accountability for gender-based violence is a top priority for the US government and our use of the Global Magnitsky sanctions program. We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to expose those who commit such heinous crimes anywhere they occur,” said Smith.
The new sanctions come just over a month after former President Michel Martelly was also sanctioned.
In 2016, Mr Victor armed young men in Petite Rivière, Artibonite, to secure his political control over the area ahead of the elections.
It is the facilitation that was given by the MP that led to the formation of the Gran Grif gang, which is described as the largest within the Artibonite region.
The gang is accused of perpetrating abuses which include sexual violence, kidnappings, murder, rape, and the forced recruitment of children.
Mr Victor is also implicated in arms trafficking. Elan finds himself in trouble as he is believed to be the leader of the Gran Grif gang. Through the operations of the gangs, most civilians in Haiti have been displaced.
With such sanctions, it means that all the properties within the US that are owned by Victor and Elan have been frozen.
In addition, any US citizen has been barred from engaging in any transactions with the duo. Even non-US citizens are cautioned in engaging in any kind of business with them.
If one violates the sanctions, then it could lead to criminal penalties. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has announced that an additional of Sh20.7 billion will be provided for the mission.
During the UN General Assembly in New York, President Joe Biden praised the Kenyan officers for the efforts they are making to ensure that peace is restored in the Caribbean nation.
Last weekend, President William Ruto visited the Kenyan police officers in Haiti and had discussions with them about their welfare.
The officers raised concerns about delays in receiving their monthly allowances. However, the officers informed the Head of State that they will ensure they restore peace in the Caribbean nation.
President Ruto thanked the officers for their dedication and promised them their grievances will be addressed. “I came here especially to know about your progress so that friends and partners who believe in stability and peace can work with me at the United Nations General Assembly to make sure that you get the requisite support to ensure that you deliver,” President Ruto told the police officers at Port-au-Prince. The Kenyan leader also met President Edgard Le Leblanc of the Transitional Presidential Council.
Thereafter President Ruto informed the General Assembly of the progress made by the Kenya-led mission in Haiti, saying that despite limited resources, the contingent has achieved tangible progress.
“What looked like a mission impossible is now a present and real possibility for peace in Haiti,” President Ruto said.
Apart from Kenya, Jamaica has also deployed a few officers. Other countries that promised to deploy officers but are yet to send them are the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, Italy, Spain, Mongolia, Senegal, Belize, Suriname, Guatemala, and Peru.
Plans are underway to extend the mission which is scheduled to end in October.
