The multinational force is tasked with assisting the Haitian National Police (PNH) in combating gang violence and restoring state authority.
The Jamaican and Belizean personnel landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport aboard a US Coast Guard plane. The Jamaican contingent includes 20 military and four police officers.
On Tuesday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that Jamaica would deploy its first group of 24 out of the 250 military-police personnel pledged to the MSS. Also, as announced by the Belizean Defense Forces, Belize deployed two military officers from its commitment of 50 personnel.
This initial deployment focuses on supporting mission command, planning, and logistics, setting the stage for future deployments.
Led by Senior Army Officer Kevron Henry, the Jamaican contingent was welcomed by Rameau Normil, director general of the PNH, Godfrey Otunge, commander of the MSS in Haiti, and several Kenyan police officers.
In his welcome address, Otunge emphasized the MSS’s dedication to its mission as outlined in Resolution 2699, adopted by the UN Security Council in October 2023. He reiterated the mission’s commitment to collaborating with Haitian forces to combat gang violence and restore democratic rights in Haiti.
“I urge other contributing countries to deploy their personnel as soon as possible, as the stipulated time for the deployment phase is ending soon,” Otunge said.