Kenyan Police Officer Killed In Haiti After Gang Ambush

Kenya has sent at least 800 police officers to Haiti to assist in combating gangs.

A Kenyan police officer has been killed in Haiti. Bénédict Kabiru was a member of the international force battling the ongoing gang violence that has plagued the nation.

Kabiru was reported missing after suspected gang members ambushed two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles this week in Pont-Sondé, located in the Artibonite region about 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, according to the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). The Presidential Transitional Council of Haiti later confirmed that the officer had died.

“This valiant police officer, engaged alongside Haitian forces to fight insecurity, made the ultimate sacrifice for a better future for our country. His bravery and commitment will never be forgotten,” the council stated, CNN reported

Kariru and his colleagues attempted to retrieve an armored police vehicle that was lodged in a ditch, which the MSS suggested may have been deliberately dug by gangs. During the recovery operation, they came under attack from gang members.

The U.S. has been a financial supporter of the MSS. This week, Secretary of State Mark Rubio met with Fritz Jean, a member of Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council, in Jamaica.

“On Haiti, we look forward to continued partnership with the United States as we seek to work with the Haitian leadership and stakeholders to address the ongoing crises in Haiti,” Rubio said in a statement.

An estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, is under gang control. Since the MSS arrived last year, the gangs have spread to rural areas of the island and taken over territory in the Artibonite region, which is the largest rice-producing area in the country.

In October, the United Nations said the Gran Grif gang killed at least 70 people in the same town where Kabiru was slain.

Violence in Port-au-Prince has resulted in unprecedented levels of displacement. In a March 26 press briefing, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that nearly 23,000 people had been displaced in just one week. Dujarric also noted that nearly five million people — almost half of the population — are food insecure.

“OCHA warns that the scale and pace of displacement is rapidly outpacing the capacity of humanitarian actors to respond,” Duijarric said.