The Kenya-led Haiti mission hangs in the balance, as powerful gangs in the nation have proven extremely difficult to overcome, according to the latest reports.
Last week, Port-au-Prince witnessed heavy gunfire as Kenya police and their allies engaged gangs in one of the bigger battles this year. The gangs still control over 85% of the city, despite authorities' best efforts.
While Kenya police officers managed to quell the gang violence, last week's spate of relentless attacks from the gangs brought to perspective the daunting task 2500 officers from different countries had on their hands.
One factor which helped the Kenyan officers overcome the gangs was the presence of an armoured vehicle, which was heavily damaged as the rogue gangs deployed high-calibre bullets to try to penetrate the vehicle.
Kenyan soldiers joined their counterparts from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica in a bid to re-capture the violence-ravaged capital of Port-au-Prince.
Despite initial positives during the early stages of the mission, it has now emerged that the gangs are fighting back with unprecedented aggression, leaving soldiers, including the Kenyan contingent, overwhelmed at times.
Godfrey Otunge, the commander of the United Nations-backed mission, recently exuded confidence in the mission, by firing a warning to the Haiti gangs. “Either you surrender … or we are coming for you," he stated.
However, the tough talks from Otunge do not paint the full picture, as authorities grapple with the delicate balance of quelling gangs while still safeguarding citizens and trying to mitigate the effects of the war on ordinary citizens.
Already, 4500 people have been killed this year, with a further 2060 injured, according to a report by the United Nations.
In a push for more control over the city, gangs have resorted to burning and pillaging communities, leading to the displacement of over 700,000 people in recent years.
One major concern that has emerged is the fact that gang strongholds are still going strong, and police have failed to arrest any considerable gang leaders.
Politics has also come into play, with officers grappling with issues like delayed salaries and poor infrastructure.
As recently as Friday, December 6, Godfrey Otunge was forced to release a statement to address a damaging report claiming that senior police officers were preparing to walk away from the mission over pay delays.
"There have been reports alleging dissatisfaction among MSS personnel deployed in Haiti," the statement read. "The MSS categorically refutes these reports, the information being disseminated is both inaccurate and malicious."
