A Kenyan court temporarily blocked the government from deploying hundreds of police personnel in Haiti in a UN-approved mission aimed at helping the Caribbean nation tackle rampant gang violence.
The court order issued on Monday is valid until 24 October and followed a petition jointly filed by one of the opposition political parties and two Kenyans who say the decision to deploy the police officers outside the east African country is illegal.
According to a court document seen by Reuters, the order bars Kenyan government officials including the president and his interior minister “from deploying police officers to Haiti or any other country until 24th October 2023”.
In July, Kenya pledged to offer 1,000 police officers after Haiti appealed for international help with security personnel to assist in its battle against gangs blamed for spiraling violence.
The United Nations estimates some 200,000 Haitians have been displaced during escalating violence, with armed gangs carrying out indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, gang rapes and torching people’s homes.
According to the petitioners, the deployment of the police officers is “not only nonsensical and irrational but unconstitutional”.
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On the other hand, without some sort of outside intervention or help the status quo in Haiti will remain. I don't really think any of it is " good " so to speak but I struggle to imagine another U.N. mission will bring about fruitful results for anyone involved.
I'm not going to deny the shitshow it was last time the UN sent troops to Haiti but here's me naively hoping that this kind of mess doesn't repeat.
On thing I read these days it's a good thing they're sending police officers (who are generally charged to return things to order and peace) and not soldiers (who, generally, are tasked to destroy an enemy).
Granted that's a broad generalisation since I don't believe UN peacekeeping troops are sent to places with the explicit orders to destroy something but I think there is a difference in the general mindset and training between police an military.
So maybe, maybe this will do some good? If Kenya is allowed to send police officers.