Kenyan police engaged in a firefight with gangs in Port-au-Prince on Thursday while attempting to secure a building in a neighborhood dominated by the Viv Ansanm gang, led by Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue.
This building, previously serving as the offices for the Haitian National Police, was abandoned shortly after Barbecue’s gang seized control of the Delmas 2 area three years ago.
In late November, officers from the Kenyan contingent of the U.N.-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) managed to reclaim the building. However, they continue to face persistent gunfire from members of the Viv Ansanm gang, who are entrenched in Delmas 2 and are located just a short distance from Chérizier’s residence.
When the Kenyan police arrived in Haiti earlier this year as part of a U.N.-supported initiative to combat gang violence, there was a sense of optimism. Nevertheless, the 400 Kenyan officers, along with underfunded and understaffed local police forces, are struggling, as gangs now exert control over 85% of the capital.
The situation has worsened since the arrival of the international policing force. The main international airport has been closed for the second time this year due to gang gunfire targeting commercial flights, which resulted in an injury to a flight attendant in mid-November.
Additionally, armed groups are now attacking previously stable communities in their bid to dominate the capital, exploiting the political turmoil that led to the sudden ousting of the prime minister earlier this month.
As Kenyan officers patrol the streets of the capital in armored vehicles, they confront attacks from various gangs across different neighborhoods daily.
A recent statement from the Kenyan-led mission acknowledged the numerous challenges that lie ahead. However, it emphasized that ongoing joint patrols and operations have successfully secured certain communities and compelled gangs to alter their methods of operation.
Godfrey Otunge, the Kenyan Commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission, informed The Associated Press in an interview that the second phase of the operation is set to commence before Christmas.
“The days of the gangs are numbered, and we will pursue them relentlessly,” Otunge asserted.
In the second week of November alone, reports indicated that at least 150 individuals were killed in the capital, with 20,000 others displaced from their homes.
