Latest news with #AlixDidierFils-Aime
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Extreme brutality': UN, aid groups warn Haiti unrest soaring
Haiti has seen a "wave of extreme brutality" in recent weeks, with numerous killings and thousands forced to flee their homes, a consortium of UN agencies, NGOs and donors is warning. "Entire families have been brutally wiped out in their homes, while others, including children and babies, have been shot dead as they tried to escape," the group, organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said in a statement Monday. Gangs control large portions of Haiti, including the majority of the capital, and violence has soared despite the arrival of hundreds of police personnel as part of a Kenya-led multinational security support mission (MSS). "We are deeply alarmed and dismayed by the unacceptable and inhuman intensity of the violence raging in Haiti, a wave of extreme brutality which, since the end of January, has resulted in the loss of many lives," the group said. It said 4,000 people had been forced to flee the Kenscoff area of the capital, along with 2,000 more from the Delmas, Port-au-Prince and Petion-ville municipalities. The group called on "all parties involved in this violence to break this cycle of terror and put an end to this uncontrolled spiral." Fresh attacks occurred late Monday nights, said residents of two neighborhoods in the capital. "They set fire to our house with my father inside. It's cruel," a resident who managed to flee the area told AFP. Another said the attack came early in the morning as vigilante security forces were resting. "The bandits attacked us by surprise," she said. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, has long been mired in instability, but conditions severely worsened early last year when gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital to force then-prime minister Ariel Henry to resign. He handed power to an interim government, which along with the MSS has struggled to wrest back control from the gangs. The UN-approved MSS has around 1,000 personnel from six nations, though mostly from Kenya, out of 2,500 initially expected. One Kenyan officer died after being shot on Sunday. UN officials have repeatedly called for more support for the mission and a surge of resources to the nation, where an estimated one million people have been displaced by the violence. Last week, the UN launched an appeal for over $900 million in aid for Haiti this year, a sharp increase from 2024, which was only 44-percent funded. The UN recorded 5,600 deaths linked to gang violence last year, in a 20-percent increase compared to 2023, as well as 1,500 kidnappings, nearly 6,000 gender-based violence cases, 69 percent of which were instances of sexual assault. On Monday, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said authorities were "at war" with the gangs. "We are relentlessly committed to enabling the police, the army and MSS to put gangs out of action," he promised in a speech to mark his 100 days in office. str-abo/aem/des/md
Russia Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
African state deploys more police to Haiti
A group of 144 Kenyan police officers arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to reinforce the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) on Thursday. The contingent was greeted by interim Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime and Leslie Voltaire, head of Haiti's presidential transition council. Kenya is leading a mission to support Haiti's national police in reclaiming gang-controlled areas, including most of the capital. Nairobi deployed 400 officers in December and over 200 last month. Recent reinforcements bring the total to around 1,000, according to France24. According to the UN, at least 5,601 people were killed in gang-related violence last year, a thousand more than in 2023. The organization also reported 315 lynchings of suspected gang members and 281 alleged police executions. Earlier this week, the UN said that over $13 million in US funding for the MSS mission, which aims to assist local authorities in combating powerful gangs, had been frozen due to President Donald Trump's 90-day pause on foreign aid. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later issued a waiver to continue support. During a visit to the Dominican Republic, Rubio said he had thanked Kenyan President Ruto for leading the mission. READ MORE: Proxy colonialism: The West is using this African nation as an imperial accomplice 'I think it's also important to note, however, that that mission as currently constructed will not be enough,' Rubio stated. He stressed that the mission should find a new direction to successfully eliminate armed groups 'that today have taken possession of large portions of Haitian territory.' UN chief Antonio Guterres has likewise advocated for increased support to enhance the mission's effectiveness. William O'Neill, the UN-designated expert on Haiti, stated on Thursday that the mission plays a vital role in assisting local officers in establishing security. READ MORE: Kenya open to expanding foreign mission into UN operation 'The Haitian National Police are outnumbered and outgunned by the gangs,' he noted. 'Steady and predictable funding for the (mission) requires all states to contribute, especially those in the region. More stability in Haiti will reduce the pressure to migrate, which is in everyone's interest.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kenya deploys additional 144 police to Haiti
A new contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Thursday to bolster a UN-backed security mission, AFP journalists observed, as the United States reiterated its support but called for a "new direction." The police contingent, which Kenya's interior ministry said earlier included 144 officers, was greeted at the international airport in Port-au-Prince by interim Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime and Leslie Voltaire, head of Haiti's presidential transition council. It's the second foreign contingent to arrive in just a few days, following 60 Salvadoran officers on Tuesday. Kenya is leading the mission, which aims to help Haiti's national police push back against gangs which control large parts of the country, including the majority of the capital. Nairobi previously sent 400 officers in December and over 200 last month -- with the latest reinforcements bringing the total to around 1,000. Despite the deployment, Haiti continues to suffer from crippling instability due to rampant gang violence. On Monday, the capital was once again plunged into panic following threats made by influential gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, known as "Barbecue." In the Kenscoff area in the capital region, a series of armed attacks have left at least 150 dead in recent days, according to a provisional toll released by the FJKL rights group. Last year, at least 5,601 people were killed in gang-related violence, a thousand more than in 2023, according to the UN. The UN also recorded 315 lynchings of people allegedly affiliated with gangs as well as 281 cases of alleged summary executions by police. Gang violence has forced many Haitians to flee their homes, with the UN's migration agency putting the figure of displaced people around the country at over a million. The future of the security mission was thrown into disarray for a short period this week after the US government moved to cut off aid as part of a larger halt to international funding under President Donald Trump. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio later issued a waiver so that funding for the Haiti mission would proceed. On a visit to the neighboring Dominican Republic, Rubio said Thursday he had called Kenyan President William Ruto to voice appreciation for leading the force. "I think it's also important to note, however, that that mission as currently constructed will not be enough," Rubio told reporters. The mission "needs to find new direction in order to be successful at rooting out armed groups that today have taken possession of large portions of Haitian territory," he said. UN chief Antonio Guterres has similarly been calling for an infusion of support to make the mission more effective. In late January, the secretary-general warned that Haiti's capital could become overrun by gangs if the international community did not step up aid to the security mission. bur-des/nro
