Gov’t Refutes Reports On The Death Of 7 Kenya Police In Haiti
On Monday, the National Police Service (NPS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) denied that some of the police officers deployed to Haiti had been killed.
NPS denounced a video that had circulated on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, alleging that seven of the officers had been overpowered and killed by the gangs.
The video depicted several police officers on the streets who did not appear to be in Haiti.
During a roundtable interview at State House, President William Ruto also stated that he had yet to receive a report of a Kenyan police officer being killed while on duty in Haiti.
#FakeNews Alert.- @NPSOfficial_KE https://t.co/geQTPb7QMV
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) July 1, 2024
The reports came just a week after President William Ruto flagged off the first batch of 400 police officers who flew to Haiti to help restore peace and lead a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
At the time, the Head of State stated that he had faith in the team and that the country has a strong track record in peacekeeping and conflict resolution around the world.
Upon arrival, however, the officers encountered resistance, particularly from the gang led by Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, who had initially sought talks with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille.
When the talks failed, Barbecue vowed to fight Kenyan police officers to the death and ordered his gang members to open fire on them.
In a video that quickly went viral, the gang leader referred to Kenyan police as invaders and said he was willing to die for the liberation of the Caribbean nation.
“I don’t care if they are white or black. If they’re not Haitian and they’re on Haitian soil, they’re invaders,” Barbecue stated.
“It’s a bloodbath, It’s a fight for the country, and I will fight for it even if I die I am sure there will be successors and there will be other people who will continue with this fight,” he earlier revealed in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Conille, the acting prime minister, insisted that talks with the gang leader could only take place if the latter stopped engaging in illegal activities.
President Ruto, on the other hand, insisted that Kenya’s police will collaborate with the international community to restore peace in the country.
The operation is expected to provide relief to Haitians who have been under gang attacks for nearly a year.
Gov’t Refutes Reports On The Death Of 7 Kenya Police In Haiti
