Haitian police officers on Monday called for better protection after a Kenyan officer in a U.N.-backed mission was killed by gunmen.
Police union leader Garry Jean Baptiste urged the government to provide more equipment and support as gangs, controlling 85% of the capital, continue expanding their territory. Speaking outside the prime minister’s office, he warned, “Take this insecurity seriously so more lives can be saved.”
The demands follow the fatal shooting of a Kenyan officer in Haiti’s gang-controlled Artibonite region. Jean Baptiste also criticized delayed salaries and called for financial aid for families of fallen officers.
In response, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé pledged “massive investment” in police equipment, saying Haiti was at war with gangs and aiming to restore security for future elections.
Kenya has deployed hundreds of officers to assist Haiti’s struggling police force, with reinforcements from Jamaica, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
