The World Briefly
November 17, 2023Green Light
Haiti
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Kenya’s parliament approved Thursday the deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti, as part of a multinational mission aimed at helping the Caribbean country get a grip on its dire security situation, the Associated Press reported.
The approval came months after Kenya announced it would lead a United Nations-backed multinational policing team in Haiti, which has seen a spiraling political crisis and areas of the country taken over by criminal groups since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
But last month, a Kenyan court blocked the deployment in a case brought by opposition politician Ekuru Aukot, who said the move was unconstitutional and didn’t involve public participation, Reuters noted.
Supporters countered that Kenya had a moral obligation to aid Haiti.
Still, the deputy speaker of parliament Gladys Boss called a vote, citing a report that said the deployment meets the constitutional requirement to take into account public opinion.
A number of African and Caribbean countries have also pledged troops for the multinational mission which could cost Kenya more than $230 million.
Gang violence has been plaguing Haiti for years, but has worsened over the past few years.
On Wednesday, a gang attacked Fontaine Hospital Center in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Police evacuated about 40 children and 70 patients, including those on oxygen, to a safer location in the city, USA Today wrote.
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