The U.S. military announced on Friday that it will supply 24 additional armored vehicles to Kenyan personnel deployed in Haiti, where they are spearheading a long-delayed security operation in the troubled Caribbean nation.
The Kenyan contingent, comprising around 400 police officers, leads a United Nations-sanctioned security mission aimed at combating heavily armed gangs that have overtaken much of the Haitian capital.
Initially requested by Haiti’s previous government in 2022, the mission has seen pledges of over 2,500 troops from various countries. However, the Kenyan forces remain the only group to have arrived on the ground.
The U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom), which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, stated that the delivery of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) MaxxPros will begin on Friday. These vehicles will be transported to Haiti’s main airport via U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes, adding to an existing fleet of 10 U.S.-provided MRAPs.
In addition to the vehicles, 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, commonly known as “turrets,” will be delivered. These kits will be installed by military-funded contractors to enhance the armored vehicles’ field view during joint operations with Haitian national police.
Despite their efforts, the Kenyan forces faced a significant setback in late July when they were forced to withdraw from the Haitian town of Ganthier during one of their first major operations outside the capital. According to a Miami Herald report citing a Kenyan forces spokesperson, the initial MRAPs supplied by the U.S. lacked towers, which hindered the personnel’s ability to respond to attacks from inside the vehicles.
The conflict in Ganthier has displaced nearly 6,000 residents by early August, according to U.N. data. Nationwide, almost 600,000 people have been internally displaced by the ongoing violence, and hundreds of thousands of deported migrants have returned to Haiti, where nearly 5 million people are currently experiencing severe hunger.
The mission’s initial 12-month mandate is set to expire in October.
