An undisclosed number of Kenyan police officers have opted out of a deployment mission following an agreement with Haiti to send 1000 officers to assist in tackling the gang situation.
As reported by the BBC on March 7, the officers have expressed concerns about their safety amidst ongoing gang raids in the Caribbean nation.
Numerous Kenyan police officers who had initially volunteered for the deployment have withdrawn due to safety apprehensions.
In an interview with the broadcasting corporation, one officer highlighted the lack of clarity regarding the mission's execution plans, expressing uncertainty about the mechanisms put in place.
Citing the recent surge in gang violence in Haiti, another officer stated that he and his squad decided to withdraw from the mission, which was not mandatory.
He further added that the team was asked to apply for the mission voluntarily, aiming to assist in restoring peace in Haiti as part of their service to humanity.
The unrest in Haiti escalated on March 3, following assaults by a notorious gang leader, commonly known as Barbecue, on the nation's main airport. Barbecue vowed to obstruct Prime Minister Ariel Henry's return to the country.
Exploiting Prime Minister Ariel Henry's absence, gangs in Port-au-Prince launched a series of coordinated attacks, leaving more people homeless as they sought safety.
Henry, who traveled to Kenya on February 29, formalized the deployment deal with President William Ruto on March 1, with the Cabinet Secretary for Interior Kithure Kindiki and Haiti's security minister signing the agreement.
President William Ruto defended his decision to deploy troops to the troubled country, emphasizing the shared origin between the two nations.
"We are offering the experience and expertise of our police officers in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti as mandated by the United Nations Security Council and as guided by our courts," Ruto stated.
Unfortunately, the United States rejected plans on March 5 to send their troops to Haiti in the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission, pledging to mobilize all possible assistance, including from the international community, to aid the Caribbean nation.