Kenyan Police Officer Goes Missing in Haiti After Gang Attack

A Kenyan police officer deployed in Haiti as part of an international security force has gone missing following an ambush by suspected gang members.

The incident occurred while the team was assisting a Haitian national police vehicle that had become stuck in a ditch, according to a statement from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission.

“As rescue teams worked to resolve the situation, gang members who had been lying in wait launched an attack,” the statement said. Specialized search teams have since been deployed to locate the missing officer.

The attack took place on Tuesday in Pont-Sondé during a patrol operation. While Haitian media reports suggest the officer may have been killed, this has not yet been confirmed.

The Kenya National Police Service has acknowledged the incident and reaffirmed the officers’ commitment to their mission, despite growing calls from Kenyans urging the force to withdraw.

This marks yet another attack on Kenyan officers in Haiti. Just last month, 26-year-old police constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai was killed during an operation in Ségur-Savien—the first fatality among the Kenyan contingent. His body was repatriated and laid to rest earlier this month.

Kenya has deployed at least 800 police officers to Haiti under the MSS mission to combat escalating gang violence. The force was sent in June last year to help restore order in a country where gangs have seized control of nearly the entire capital, Port-au-Prince, and several rural areas.

So far in 2024, gang-related violence in Haiti has led to over 5,500 deaths and displaced more than a million people.

AFRICANEWS/S.S