The Head of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, Godfrey Otunge, has assured Haiti citizens of continued police efforts to eliminate gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
Otunge, through a statement issued on Saturday, November 23, announced that several joint patrols and operations were conducted by the Haiti National Police and the Kenyan peacekeepers both day and night to counter threats posed by notorious gangs.
The police commander revealed that in recent weeks, the combined forces successfully thwarted and repelled multiple gang attempts to disrupt the training of over 700 police officers. The update comes amid an operation against the dreaded Haiti gang leader Jimmy Cherizier alias Barbecue.
According to him, the collaboration between the Kenyan police and the Haitian officers underscored the proactive approach to law enforcement, emphasising the importance of training the 700 officers as the foundation for maintaining law and order in Haiti.
“The commitment and vigilance of these officers ensure that the police academy and school remain a secure environment where recruits can focus on their mission to graduate and serve their communities,” Otunge said.
Otunge added: “With the support of these security measures, the next generation of police officers is poised to contribute significantly to a safer, more stable nation.”
The move comes against the recent attack on Barbecue by the security officers. Barbecue was attacked by the police on Friday, November 22, during a special operation carried out in Delmas.
While the Viv Ansanm gang leader narrowly escaped a police bullet, however, the officers were able to kill two gang members. Following the operation, the officers recovered several military equipment, including firearms.
The latest developments in Haiti come barely a month after the multinational peacekeepers, jointly with the Haitian officers killed about 20 gang members, including a gang leader.
The joint operation was carried out between October 12 and October 14, in the Torsél region, an area controlled by the wanted criminal Vitelhomme Innocent. During the operation, the officers destroyed Vitelhomme's base before neutralising several gang members, including Vitelhomme's second-in-command, Deshommes.
Following the operation, the police officers recovered fifteen guns, including 11 long guns and 4 short guns, 2 tablets and 2 cell phones, the identity cards of several local Haitians, 28 telecommunication radios, and 2 digital surveillance cameras.
"It should be noted that during this sting operation, the combined forces did not record any casualties. Unfortunately, a vehicle assigned to the MSS developed mechanical problems," Otunge noted.
