Haiti capital Port-au-Prince gripped by chaos as armed gangs kill police, vow to oust prime minister
CBSFeb 23
Kenyan Security Forces Reach Haiti for Peacekeeping Mission
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The Facts
In a ceremony on Monday, Kenyan Pres. William Ruto wished a 400-strong Kenyan police force good fortune as they departed for Haiti as part of an effort to maintain peace and security in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation.
Kenya has agreed to lead a multinational force and send up to 1K officers to combat the widespread violence in Haiti, where gangs rule much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and stand accused of murders, kidnappings, and acts of sexual violence.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
After several delays, the first 400 Kenyan police officers have finally arrived in Port-au-Prince to bring relief to Haitians, who have long suffered from severe gang violence. All eyes are now on the multinational force to restore order and deliver optimism and stability to a poor country. The world needs to act swiftly to stem the bloodshed in Haiti, and this will hopefully only be the beginning of an international humanitarian effort.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Kenyan police force tasked with breaking the stronghold of vicious gangs in Port-au-Prince is an outsourced invasion funded by Washington. Since the island gained independence from France in 1804, the US has sponsored seven interventions in Haiti, none of which have been particularly successful, with sexual assault charges marring the most recent mission. There is a lot at risk here, and the world community cannot afford another failure.