(CMR) Amid a deadly protest in Kenya, 200 specialized officers from the African nation and their support staff arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, 25 June, to help the Caribbean country restore peace and calm.
At least 13 people were reportedly killed by police in Kenya on Tuesday as angry protestors stormed Parliament against a bill that would raise taxes.
Ironically, as unrest arose in their nation, the 200 officers arrived in Haiti to help restore calm and to help the Haiti National Police dismantle armed groups that now control more than 80% of the capital and parts of the Artibonite region.
According to the Miami Herald, the Kenyans, who are assigned to several terrorist-fighting elite forces in the East African nation, were accompanied by National Security Adviser Monica Juma.
She described their arrival on Haitian soil as a sign of her nation’s mission “to serve as agents of peace, stability and hope” and “commitment to support the Haitian national police to restore public order and security, to build bridges between our people and nations.”
The reinforcements arrived during what seems at least a brief break in four months of rampant violence and attacks in and around the capital city. Though heavy gunfire could be heard around the city of Tabarre on Sunday afternoon, many gang members seem to have gone underground, at least for the moment.
Meantime, on Tuesday, protests against a bill that would raise taxes turned deadly in Kenya as police fired on demonstrators trying to storm the legislature in Nairobi. The head of the Kenya Medical Association said at least 13 people had been killed, AlJazeera reported. President William Ruto said “legitimate” protests had been “hijacked” by criminals.
The U.S. embassy in Nairobi — and other embassies and high commissioners — said in a joint statement Tuesday they were “shocked” by the scenes outside parliament and “deeply concerned” about the violence nationwide.
“We regret the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained, including by the use of live fire,” they said, calling for “restraint on all sides.”
The protests have been led by younger Kenyans demanding that President William Ruto abandon the plan to raise taxes, which many say would be borne unfairly by younger generations. The protests were launched under the banner of “7 Days of Rage,” and the country is bracing for more days of upheaval ahead.