The U.S. military announced on Friday that it will supply 24 additional armored vehicles to Kenyan forces leading a security operation in Haiti, a country plagued by violence and instability. The Kenyan personnel, comprising around 400 police officers, have been deployed as part of a United Nations-approved mission to combat heavily armed gangs that control much of the Haitian capital.
This mission, requested by Haiti’s former government in 2022, has been slow to materialize, with Kenya being the only country so far to send forces, despite commitments from several nations to contribute over 2,500 troops.
U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom), which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced that it will send mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) MaxxPro vehicles to Haiti’s main airport using U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes. These new deliveries, starting Friday, will join an existing fleet of 10 U.S.-supplied MRAPs.
In addition to the vehicles, 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, or turrets, will be shipped and installed by military-funded contractors. These turrets will enhance the troops’ ability to engage in combat and improve their visibility during joint operations with Haitian national police.
In late July, Kenyan troops suffered a setback when they were forced to retreat from the Haitian town of Ganthier during one of their first major operations outside the capital. According to reports from the Miami Herald, a Kenyan military spokesperson cited issues with the initial MRAPs supplied by the U.S., which lacked turrets, limiting the troops’ ability to defend themselves.
Violence in Ganthier has displaced nearly 6,000 people as of early August, according to U.N. data. Across Haiti, close to 600,000 people have been forced from their homes due to the conflict, and hundreds of thousands of migrants have been deported back to the country, where nearly 5 million people are experiencing severe hunger.
The U.N. mission’s 12-month mandate is set to expire in October, leaving uncertainty about the future of the operation.