Kenyan-led mission restores order around Haiti’s main airport » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 3 – The Kenya National Police Service now reports that normality is returning to the areas around Haiti’s main international airport in the capital Port-au-Prince, three months after operations resumed.

Toussaint-Louverture airport was closed in early March after an escalation of gang violence in the region.

Police spokesperson Resila Onyango told Capital FM News on Tuesday that the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti has taken full control of the airport and pacified the area north of the airport where gangs have been wreaking havoc.

According to Resila, the presence of MSS police units has led to an increase in the frequency of commercial, cargo and domestic flights using the facility.

“Before MSS arrived, the area around Airport North was a no-go zone, but normality is gradually returning after MSS occupied the airport, took over security control and calmed the area through sustained operations and patrols,” Resila told Capital FM News.

Haiti has been grappling with a surge in violence since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse at his private residence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, prompting calls for a security measure.

The UN-backed mission, together with its counterparts in Haiti, has stepped up pacification operations in recent weeks, particularly targeting gang-controlled areas in Delmas, Bel-Air, Solino and the surrounding area.

The MSS on Sunday called on gangs operating in Port Australia to lay down their weapons and surrender, signalling a possible escalation in their offensive against organised crime groups.

The mission said pacification operations will be carried out at sea, land and in the air, and roads and streets will be cleared to allow normal flow of people and vehicles.

“MSS calls on gang members to lay down their weapons and surrender to the government,” MSS said in its latest update on Sunday.

The MSS announced that it received additional vehicles and equipment from the U.S. government last week, which would bolster joint operations with its Haitian counterparts.

The mission called on Haitians, authorities and stakeholders to continue to support it in restoring security and improving conditions so that free and fair elections can be held in the country.

“MSS remains steadfast and fully committed to its mandate as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2699 by working with the HNP to ensure a safe and secure Haiti,” MSS said.

The mission reiterated its commitment to restore order in the country.

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BRUHAN MAKONG

Bruhan Makong reports on security, human rights and global affairs. He is passionate about exposing the truth, amplifying the voices often silenced, and holding those in power to account.