Kenya prepared to lead a multinational force for Haiti’s assistance.

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s foreign minister, Alfred Mutua, announced on Saturday that Kenya is prepared to lead a multinational force into Haiti to address the escalating violence between police and gangs in the country. The surge in violence by armed gangs has resulted in a humanitarian crisis and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

Earlier this month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council and key potential contributors to take swift action in order to establish the necessary conditions for a multinational force deployment in Haiti.

Mutua stated, “At the request of the Friends of Haiti Group of Nations, Kenya has agreed to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti. Kenya is committed to deploying a contingent of 1,000 police officers to assist in training Haitian police, restore normalcy in the country, and protect strategic installations.”

The response from Haiti’s foreign ministry is still pending at the time of writing.

Mutua clarified that the planned deployment from Kenya is contingent upon obtaining a U.N. Security Council mandate and the necessary authorizations from the Kenyan government. He added, “An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks.”

Reporting by George Obulutsa; additional reporting by Valentine Hilaire in Mexico City; editing by Giles Elgood.