The United States government has reassured the public regarding concerns revolving around potential human rights violations in Haiti following the deployment of Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean nation.
Addressing the media after the anti-Finance Bill protests on Tuesday, June 25, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller faced questions regarding the deployment, particularly in light of the reported excessive use of force by police during the anti-finance bill protests in Nairobi.
Journalists present at the press conference questioned whether similar human rights issues might arise in Haiti due to the deployment.
"Some of the right groups are saying like, look at what’s happening in Nairobi right now, the use of live rounds. Could this bode ill for Haiti and for its security? What’s the level of concern with how Kenyan forces are handling the protests?" Miller was questioned by one of the journalists.
In response, Miller noted that the US had taken precautionary steps noting that the officers were vetted by US officials.
"When it comes to the MSS, in conjunction with the Government of Kenya, the United States has vetted the Kenyan personnel for the MSS mission. We have also worked with other governments to vet their personnel for the mission.
"And we will continue to engage and vet personnel that are going to participate in the mission, because obviously, it is important that the human rights of the Haitian people be respected as this mission to restore law and order is carried out," the spokesperson responded.
The use of live bullets was witnessed during the Tuesday protests resulted in some deaths among protesters.
As a result, various human rights groups expressed concerns that the police could use excessive force on Haitians as they deal with the gangs.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden noted that the first contingent of Kenya police would help restore peace in the country.
He added that his administration was supporting the Kenya-led mission with Ksh38 billion in funding and an additional Ksh7 billion for equipment.
"This mission will support the Haitian National Police as they increase their anti-gang operations, build their capacity to maintain public safety and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.
"And we’ve worked with Kenya and other partners to integrate critically important accountability and oversight measures into the mission," the US government's statement read in part.
The first deployment of over 200 police officers was done on June 24. The officers arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, June 25.
