The Haitian National Police (HNP) has dismissed allegations that it has fallen out with the Kenyan peacekeepers who are part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
In a press statement on Saturday, February 22, HNP refuted viral social media posts claiming that Kenyan Commander Godfrey Otunge was on bad terms with Haitian Commander Rameau Normil.
According to the Haiti Police Service, despite joint efforts to thwart the gangs, several detractors sought to divert the attention of the public by propagating false allegations through social media.
“Following the intensification of operations and interventions by the Haitian police in the West department aimed at dismantling gang centres, many detractors seek to divert the attention of the population by propagating false allegations through social networks,” HNP revealed.
“As a result, HNP formally denies messages circulating suggesting that the Commander of the Haitian National Police, Rameau Normil, refuses to collaborate with the Commander-in-Chief of the MSS, Godfrey Otunge.”
While clarifying the matter, HNP stated that its officers, jointly with the Kenyan peacekeepers, cooperated in gang operations and were also developing new strategies to tackle violence in Haiti.
HNP went ahead to call on the general public, including members of the press, to be vigilant and avoid being manipulated by people the officers termed as troublemakers.
“HNP reiterates its commitment to fighting serious crime in all its forms to restore a climate of peace and security throughout the national territory,” the Haitian police noted.
The allegations of fallout come a fortnight after the Kenyan government sent an additional 144 police officers, including 24 elite all-female SWAT teams, to the Caribbean nation.
Their arrival followed months after President William Ruto’s administration sent the third contingent to the Asian country, bringing the total number of Kenyan police deployed in Haiti to 744.
Additionally, the clarification followed a day after the United States government donated 20 additional armoured personnel carriers to bolster the peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
While confirming the arrival of the armoured vehicles on Thursday, February 20, the US Department of State revealed that the machinery was critical in combating gang violence in the war-torn country.
“The 20 additional armoured personnel carriers in Port-au-Prince are for bolstering the 1,000 MSS personnel in the country to improve security for the people of Haiti and the region,” the US government announced.
