Haitian and Kenyan Police Successfully Launch First Major Offensive Against Gangs in U.N.-Backed Operation

Haiti is currently undergoing political turmoil, with a fourth international military operation attempting to stabilize the country’s gang issue in the absence of a strong central government. (CATALYST PLANET)

Haitian and Kenyan police forces carried out their first major offensive to drive gangs out of Haiti's communities on October 15, following the launch of a UN-backed security mission in June.

According to the Associated Press, law enforcement killed over 20 gang members in Torcelle, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. In the encounter, police successfully seized gang weapons, phones, and “sensitive materials and equipment,” in addition to injuring the second-in-command of Kraze Baryè, one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs. Haitian National Police reported that they were unsure how the gang leader, known by the alias "Deshommes," was injured but expressed hope that the operation would send a strong message to Haiti's numerous gangs. According to the Associated Press, these gangs control over 80 percent of Haiti’s capital and have made over 580,000 Haitians homeless, CNN reports.

Several hundred Kenyan police officers assisted the Haitian National Police in their efforts to crack down on gang activities as part of the United Nations Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. The arrival of Kenyan police officers marks the fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti. Controversies marred the last mission, which took place from 2004 to 2017, and included a cholera outbreak that killed over 10,000 people—one for which the UN later took responsibility—and multiple allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers.
In addition to Haiti’s gang problem, the country is undergoing a political crisis. Foreign mercenaries assassinated President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 amid a power dispute, and acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned under pressure in March 2024, after gangs had prevented Henry from re-entering the country following a trip to Kenya to secure support in Haiti’s war against gangs, according to France24 News. As Associated Press has reported, all 149 seats in Haiti’s National Assembly and Senate have been vacant since legislators’ terms expired in January 2023; the government has repeatedly delayed elections amid gang violence, leading to the absence of the country’s legislative branch. While Haiti’s political turmoil complicates efforts to restore security, the success of the Torcelle incursion raises hopes that Kenyan support can help the country significantly weaken its gangs.