President William Ruto, on Sunday, September 8, held a meeting with Edgar Leblanc, a member of the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council, in Ethiopia.
In a statement after the meeting, Ruto said Leblanc led the Haitian delegation to the Africa-CARICOM Summit in Addis Ababa.
President Ruto and Leblanc stressed the need for a successor UN Security Council resolution to ensure sustainable international support in Haiti.
Leblanc thanked Kenya for sending troops to help stabilize Haiti, which has been plagued by gang violence and political instability.
“Held a bilateral meeting with Mr Edgar Leblanc, member of the Transitional Presidential Council of the Republic of Haiti, who is leading the Haitian delegation to the second Africa-CARICOM Summit in Addis Ababa.
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“Mr Leblanc conveyed Haiti’s gratitude for the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by Kenyan troops. Noting the ongoing discussions in the region and the UN Security Council, we called for a successor UN Security Council Resolution that secures sustainable support for Haiti’s security efforts,” Ruto stated.
The Head of State also held talks with Bahamas' Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis on the situation in Haiti.
The two leaders noted the implications of insecurity on neighboring countries and underscored the need to build on the achievements of the Multi-National Security Support Mission (MSS).
Ruto’s meetings with Leblanc and Davis come at a time when the mandate of the Kenyan-led MSS mission in Haiti is nearing expiry.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in September 2024 extended the mission by a year to early October 2025.
Since June 2024, Kenya has deployed over 800 police officers to restore peace in the gang-stricken nation.
Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Belize have also deployed their troops to the Haitian peace mission.
On August 31, one Kenyan officer died after being involved in an accident along the Kenscoff–Pétion-Ville road at the Perlerin 9 area.
The officer identified as Corporal Kennedy Mutuku Nzuve was rushed to Lambert Santé Hospital in Pétion-Ville following the crash but was tragically pronounced dead upon arrival.
Between February and March, two Kenyan police officers were reported killed while serving in Haiti.
The first officer, Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, was fatally shot on February 23 by gangs in the Savien region of Haiti during a shootout.
The second officer, Bénédict Kabiru, was killed on March 25, following a gang ambush in Pont-Sondé, located in the Artibonite region.
