Haitian Joint Forces Address Gang Violence: Joint Interventions and Challenges

Haitian troops, working with police deployed from Kenya, launched a joint operation to drive out criminal gangs from Bel Air, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Haiti’s capital, Prime Minister Garry Conille announced Wednesday. Speaking at a Port-au-Prince hospital, Conille noted that three Haitian police officers were recovering from injuries sustained in a shooting during the operation.

“I’m tired of seeing police officers being shot. I’m tired of going to police officers’ funerals. We have to solve this problem of insecurity,” Conille said emphatically.

While he did not provide further details or answer questions, Conille appealed to Haitians to support the police by providing information to combat crime. Since January, more than 3,200 murders have been reported, with gangs controlling 80 percent of Port-au-Prince and displacing more than half a million people in their fight for more territory.

“It’s not going to happen quickly,” Conille warned. “We have to be patient.” Meanwhile, a police union reported the death of Michelle Nathanielle Megine, a female officer killed on her way to work, underscoring the personal toll on law enforcement.

A United Nations-backed mission led by Kenya has so far sent about 400 police officers to Haiti to help curb gang-related violence. More police and soldiers from Benin, Chad and Jamaica are expected to arrive soon, boosting the force to 2,500 international personnel.

(With input from agencies.)