Guatemalan, Salvadoran troops arrive in Haiti to help fight gangs
Guatemalan and Salvadoran security forces have arrived in Haiti to join an international mission aimed at fighting violent gangs.
75 Guatemalan officers and eight Salvadoran officers landed in Port-au-Prince the Haitian capital on January 3.
The troops were welcomed at the airport by high-ranking officials, including Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council leader Leslie Voltaire and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
Godfrey Otunge, who commands the Kenyan troops in the MSS, also welcomed the new arrivals. “We don’t take it for granted. We have a prime minister who is also our friend,” he was quoted as saying.
As part of the United Nations- and United States-backed effort to help Haiti’s police restore order, the troops will work with the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
Normil Rameau, the acting head of Haiti’s National Police, said the support of the people is crucial.
“A marriage of the police with the people of Haiti remains the most effective way to restore security and lasting peace,” he was quoted as saying.
Haiti has struggled with rising gang violence since President Jovenel Moïse was killed in 2021. The country also faces natural disasters and a hunger crisis.
The UN approved the MSS mission in 2023 after Haiti repeatedly asked for international help. The mission includes police officers from Kenya, but their deployment faced delays. When they arrived last year, many did not get paid for months.
Despite these efforts, gang violence continues in the country. In November, flights to Haiti were grounded after bullets hit planes flying over Port-au-Prince and in October, gangs attacked US Embassy vehicles, leading to the evacuation of 20 embassy staff.
