Kenyan officer reported missing in Haiti after gang ambush, as Rubio visits Caribbean to discuss Haitian security crisis
A member of the international force battling gangs in Haiti has been reported missing, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launches a tour of the Caribbean with Haiti's security crisis high on the agenda.
The Kenyan police officer disappeared after suspected gang members ambushed two mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles on Tuesday in the town of Pont-Sondé, Artibonite region, according to a statement by the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
Forces from the MSS and the Haitian National Police are now carrying out a search and rescue operation to locate the missing officer, Kenya's National Police Service said.
The ambushed vehicles had been dispatched to recover an armored police vehicle that got stuck in a ditch – which MSS said may have been deliberately dug by gangs. During the recovery operation, one of the MRAP vehicles also got stuck and the other developed mechanical issues. As officers attempted to fix the issue, they were suddenly attacked by gang members, the MSS said in a statement.
'As a result of the incident, one MSS Kenyan contingent officer remains unaccounted for,' MSS said.
After the attack, videos were shared online purporting to show the officer's body lying on the ground. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage, and has reached out to MSS for more information.
If confirmed, it would mark the latest Kenyan casualty since the security mission arrived in June. Last month, a Kenyan member of MSS was fatally wounded in an operation also in the Artibonite region, MSS said.
The US has been a key financial supporter of MSS, and the security crisis in Haiti is a focus of Secretary Rubio's visit to the Caribbean this week.
On Wednesday, Rubio is scheduled to meet with the president of Haiti's Presidential Transitional Council Fritz Jean in Jamaica. The Haitian government said the meeting is meant to strengthen regional cooperation related to its challenges.
Over 80% of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince has been estimated to be under gang control. Since the MSS arrived, gangs have spread increasingly into rural areas, seizing swathes of territory in the agriculturally critical Artibonite region.
In October, the UN said least 70 people, including women and children, were massacred by the Gran Grif gang in the same Artibonite town where the officer disappeared on Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says
By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post. Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was "questionable security" of that country's passport. Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of its nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas their citizens were being granted. Other reasons for concern were the nationals of the country were involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity. The cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. That would be a significant expansion of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - has also been partially restricted. During his first in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rain Forces Trump to Rush 79th Birthday Parade Past Empty Bleachers
President Donald Trump's birthday tank parade, which is costing taxpayers an estimated $45 million, was a relatively lackluster affair—especially considering the hefty price tag. The parade was forced to start early, with events kicking off approximately 30 minutes earlier than planned, in an attempt to beat the storms forecast for Saturday evening. While only light rain fell on the parade, the drizzly forecast could have been one reason why so many people stayed home, resulting in a muted crowd for Trump's big, beautiful birthday extravaganza. While television cameras at the event were largely trained on the soldiers, tanks, aircraft, and other military vehicles as they made their way down Constitution Avenue, footage posted to social media shows empty bleachers, sparse crowds, and near-silence owing to the lack of speakers along the parade route. A New York Times reporter in attendance said of the crowds, 'The energy level at the military parade here is a bit desultory. The crowds are calm and light, a bit sapped after waiting in the oppressive D.C. humidity for hours to make it to this point.' The energy onstage didn't appear to be much better, with commenters on social media highlighting footage of Secretary of State Marco Rubio yawning and seemingly having a difficult time 'hiding his boredom.' Others, including an Irish newspaper, noted that Melania Trump, in attendance alongside her husband, looked like she was falling asleep at several points, as cameras caught her with her eyes closed and appearing to doze off. It wasn't just Trump's supporters who failed to show up in mass numbers for his birthday parade; several of his own family members were not in attendance, including daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. Those who were in attendance included Vice President JD Vance, his wife and their two children, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, UFC CEO Dana White, and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as well as several senior military officials. UFC was one of the sponsors of the parade, alongside Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange, Oracle, a software company, and Lockheed Martin. We learned this as their names were shouted out by the parade emcee as the parade progressed. The parade came late in the day, following more than 2,000 "No Kings' protests around the country planned to coincide with Trump's birthday. Hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. participated in these protests. While attendee numbers are hard to estimate, the New York City Police Department estimated a crowd of roughly 50,000, while an estimated 80,000 protestors marched in Philadelphia. Protestors were also present at the parade; The New York Times reported that a group had gathered in a spot near the parade zone, with people bearing signs that read, 'Stop fascists now!' and 'Army, do your job - 86 47.' Trump's parade, planned to coincide with his birthday but ostensibly designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, drew significant criticism in the weeks leading up to the event as a result of the massive cost to taxpayers and concerns from D.C. officials over the potential damage the tanks might do to city streets.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Melania Appears to Doze Off During Trump's Birthday Military Parade
As President Donald Trump's birthday parade kicked off to sparse crowds and muted enthusiasm, all eyes were on those in Trump's inner circle who managed to make an appearance (those who didn't included his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner). Commenters on social media were quick to note that at several points throughout the parade, First Lady Melania Trump appeared to almost be dozing off, or at least resting her eyes at multiple intervals. At the very least, she looked incredibly bored, as did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Seated between them, Trump looked disappointed or disconcerted—whatever he was feeling, the sour expression on his face suggested it was not an overly positive emotion. Nearby on the stage, cameras caught Secretary of State Marco Rubio yawning as he leaned back in his chair while watching the $45 million proceedings go by. Attendees in the crowd were likely incredibly bored, too. As The New York Times reported, there were no speakers along the parade route, resulting in videos where the parade is so quiet all that can be heard is the squeaking of tanks as they roll down the street. As a result of the lack of speakers, attendees began leaving soon after the parade ended, meaning many missed Trump's speech, which the Times noted was on the shorter side. In his brief speech, Trump defended the decision to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Army, telling the crowd, 'Every other country celebrates their victories. It's about time America did, too.'
