Nearly 20 Kenyan police officers stationed in Haiti have submitted their resignation letters, according to reporting from Reuters. However, these are claims that the mission has denied.
The new report comes hours after it emerged that the highly publicised mission is being plagued by unease among police officers.
Three police officers who spoke to the international publication on condition of anonymity revealed that police officers started to submit letters of resignation in October.
The three officers who are part of the nearly 20 told the publication that they submitted resignation letters in October and another 15 or so in November after trying to resign verbally and being told to put their requests in writing.
At least five senior officers, including a unit commander, who was the first to submit a letter in October, have submitted their resignation letters, according to the three officers.
According to the officer, the resignations are motivated by pay delays and poor conditions. The police officers are yet to receive any response to resignation letters.
According to the international publication, the officers who are part of the 400 Kenyan police officers who are leading the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS) have submitted letters of resignation from the mission over the past two months.
However, in a statement issued after the reports emerged, the MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge refuted the claims, asserting that all officers have been fully paid. "The MSS categorically refutes these claims. All MSS personnel have received their salaries, including monthly allowances, and no MSS officer has tendered their resignation as alleged," stated Otunge.
He added, "MSS officers remain highly motivated and fully committed to supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) in conducting decisive operations aimed at dismantling gang networks and restoring stability."
However, the officers who spoke to Reuters disputed this, saying they were last paid in September.
Money issues have become a constant issue plaguing the mission that has received Ksh38 billion in support from the United States. This funding includes $200 million (about Ksh25.9 billion) announced in October 2023 and an additional $100 million (about Ksh12.9 billion) committed in March 2024.
President William Ruto has remained a key supporter of the mission that faced opposition locally, with court cases filed to stop the deployment. However, the government went ahead to send 400 officers, with another contingent of 600 more expected to join them.
Since their deployment in June, the officers have managed to plough back some territories from the gangs, but since November, gangs have renewed their onslaught.
The United Nations Security Council extended the mandate of the Kenyan-led mission for another year amid talks to turn the operation into a UN Peacekeepers Mission. The move backed by the US has been vetoed twice.
