UN Welcomes Kenya’s Willingness To Lead Int’l Force in Haiti

On Monday, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, welcomed Kenya's willingness to lead an international force in the Caribbean nation of Haiti to help Haiti's police combat gang violence and encouraged other countries to join the effort., his deputy spokesman said.

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"The secretary-general welcomes Kenya's positive response to his call for the urgently needed international non-UN security support to Haiti," Haq said in an official statement.

On Saturday, according to several official reports by Kenyan media, Alfred Mutua, cabinet secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, said that Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a multinational force to Haiti.

Furthermore, Mutua also stated that Kenya's commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police to restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations.

According to Haq, Guterres values Kenya's consideration to possibly lead a non-UN multinational force.

"The secretary-general reiterates his call to the Security Council to support such a non-UN international operation and encourages member states, particularly from the region, to join forces with Kenya," Haq said.