The government has denied reports suggesting plans to train Haitian police officers in Kenya ahead of the launch of the multinational security support (MSS) mission.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi clarified that no such arrangements exist under the current United Nations framework for deployment.
“We have not reached that level at all and if they are going to be trained we will make it public the way we have made the mission public,” Mudavadi stated. “We would not hide anything whatsoever, it would not be a secret,” he added.
Mudavadi’s comments were in response to claims that 2,000 Haitian officers were to receive short-term training in Kenya prior to the mission’s launch. These reports surfaced following the return of a reconnaissance team from Haiti.
Sources had suggested that the officers were to be flown to Kenya for training in law enforcement, combat, and other policing skills before returning to Haiti for deployment. “The training of the police officers is part of what we have agreed. It will be cheaper and easier to train them in Kenya for say two weeks or more before they are deployed in Haiti,” a highly placed source told the Star.
The arrival of the officers was expected by the end of May, but logistical issues have delayed their training.
Kenya, leading the 2,500-member security force, has established rules of engagement with the Haitian government for the mission. The Kenyan team found that Haiti currently lacks the necessary equipment to support the deployment of additional police officers.
Mudavadi emphasized that the MSS team will operate under strict adherence to security deployment regulations and UN parameters. “How they will operate, engage or behave, they are being guided by the principles and standards that they must adhere to,” he said.
