- Kenyan court rejects Haiti mission
- Ruling deemed unconstitutional, illegal
- Haiti seeks UN-backed force
The government’s intention to dispatch police to Haiti to spearhead a United Nations-backed multinational mission, aiming to reinstate peace and security in the Caribbean nation beset by gang violence, was rejected by a Kenyan court on Friday.
“Any decision by any state organ or state officer to deploy police officers to Haiti… violates the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid,” Judge Enock Chacha Mwita ruled on Friday.
He declared, “Therefore, an order prohibiting the deployment of police forces to Haiti or any other country is hereby issued.”
On Friday, Isaac Mwaura, a spokesman for the Kenyan government, stated that they would legally challenge the decision.
“However, in keeping with our adherence to the rule of law, the government has decided to immediately contest the high court’s verdict,” he said in a statement.
The ruling coincides with the Haitian government’s urgent request for the deployment of a multinational force. The force aims to assist its overburdened police in their battle against widespread violence.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has been in disarray for years, with armed groups seizing control of large portions of the country and wreaking havoc; the economy and public health system are in shambles.
Haiti’s Plea for Multinational Assistance
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise nearly three years ago, violence associated with gangs has increased dramatically. The United Nations reports that by September 2023, Haiti had documented over 1,500 abductions for ransom and 3,000 homicides. Public protests have demanded Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation for failing to solve insecurity.
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The United Nations Security Council authorized the mission led by Kenya in October.
President William Ruto characterized the Kenyan endeavor as a “mission for humanity” in a country devastated by colonialism. However, the proposed stationing of one thousand officers has encountered domestic opposition, as Ekuru Aukot, an opposition politician, filed the petition with the Nairobi High Court last year.
On Thursday, the foreign minister of Haiti implored the United Nations Security Council to expedite the deployment. He compared the inhumane nature of gang violence in the country to that witnessed in war zones.
“The Haitian people are at their breaking point.” Jean Victor Geneus addressed the council, “I hope this is the last time I must speak prior to the deployment of a multinational force to assist our security forces.”
As of publication, the Haitian government had yet to respond to the ruling from Friday.
