The U.S. military announced on Friday that it would send 24 more armored vehicles to Kenyan forces stationed in Haiti, where they are leading a long-overdue security mission in the crisis-hit Caribbean country.
Around 400 Kenyan police officers, leading a U.N.-approved security mission to combat heavily armed gangs controlling much of Haiti’s capital, were recently deployed to the country.
Initially requested by Haiti’s former government in 2022, the mission has seen commitments from several nations pledging over 2,500 troops, though Kenya’s contingent is the only one that has arrived so far.
The U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom) announced that it will begin delivering additional armored vehicles, specifically mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) MaxxPros, to Haiti starting Friday.
These vehicles will be transported to the capital’s main airport by U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes, supplementing an existing fleet of 10 MRAPs.
Along with the vehicles, 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, or “turrets,” will be provided, which military-funded contractors will install to enhance field visibility during joint operations with Haitian national police.
In late July, Kenyan troops were forced to retreat from the Haitian town of Ganthier, a significant setback in one of their initial missions outside the capital.
According to a Miami Herald report, the withdrawal was partly due to an issue with the American-supplied MRAPs, which lacked towers.
Without these towers, the personnel inside the vehicles were unable to adequately respond to or defend against attacks.
By August 1, violence in Ganthier had displaced nearly 6,000 residents, according to U.N. data.
The conflict has internally displaced almost 600,000 people and led to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of migrants back to Haiti, where severe hunger affects nearly 5 million individuals.
The mission’s original 12-month mandate is due to conclude in October.
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