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Police officers patrol a Haitian neighborhood amid gang violence in downtown Port-au-Prince on April 25, 2023.
CNN –
Concerns over Kenya’s human rights record have cast a shadow over a UN decision that gave Kenya the green light to lead an armed multinational force to Haiti amid brutal gang violence in the Caribbean country.
For a year, the multinational force, consisting of 1,000 Kenyan police officers, will fight criminal gangs responsible for a wave of murders, kidnappings and rapes in Haiti.
However, human rights groups argue that Kenya’s history of human rights abuses needs to be assessed.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International Kenya called on UN member states, human rights organizations and citizens to thoroughly examine the “human rights and humanitarian implications” of sending an armed multinational force to Haiti.
Kenya’s police have often been criticized for their violent approach to containing demonstrations. Dozens of civilians were killed during anti-government protests in the East African country in July this year.
The United Nations expressed concern at the time about police brutality during protests in Kenya, adding that up to 23 people may have been killed during the demonstrations.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua rejected the United Nations comment, calling it “inaccurate” but did not provide a death toll.
The Kenya National Civil Society Center has also spoken out against the deployment of the country’s police personnel in Haiti, accusing them of “extrajudicial killings.”
“The Kenya Police Service is notorious for its excessive use of force and continues to be the focus of numerous extrajudicial killings and arbitrary executions of protesters during recent anti-government protests,” the organization was quoted as saying by CNN affiliate Citizen Digital.
Kenyan President William Ruto called the result of Monday’s vote “overdue” and “a crucial tool” that will “leave a different footprint in the history of international interventions in Haiti.”
In a media statement on Tuesday, Ruto said he was “delighted” that the United Nations Security Council had responded directly to his call, citing his recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly on the need for a framework for a multinational support force in Haiti .
Ruto said the decision “marks an important moment in the history of global multilateralism” and argued that it “enables the nations of the world to fulfill a collective moral duty to ensure justice and security for all peoples of all nations.”
“For us in Kenya, this mission is of particular importance and utmost urgency. We have experienced the shattering force of colonialism and the long, difficult and frustrating struggle…In our struggle we have always had friends…true, loyal and determined friends. The people of Haiti, our dear friends, are in need today. It is our fundamental moral obligation to actually be their friend by standing with them,” Ruto said.
Kenya has historically played an important role in supporting UN peacekeeping initiatives and African Union peacekeeping missions. A senior Biden administration official said Kenya had “demonstrated the ability to lead international security missions of this nature and comply with United Nations human rights and accountability standards.”
The United States has pledged $100 million in direct support to the multinational force in Haiti, but some in Kenya are skeptical.
Political analyst Herman Manyora told CNN that many Kenyans believe the country’s mission in Haiti is an “unnecessary risk” and “a big gamble” motivated by President Ruto’s move to “pleasing the international community.”
“Many people believe that the president of Kenya is interested in pleasing the international community. He wants to be a darling of the West. He has launched a charm offensive to please the outside world and appear as an African statesman,” said Manyora, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and founder of The Nairobi Review.
Manyora also expressed concerns that a language barrier and unfamiliar terrain in Haiti could pose a threat to Kenyan security forces.
“Haiti speaks French, we don’t speak French. They have their unique history, we don’t even understand this history. There is a lot of insecurity (in Haiti). Gangs are on the loose, weapons are everywhere – heavy weapons. What commitment does Kenya have to make to take advantage of these opportunities in a foreign and dangerous terrain? … It’s such a big risk.”