Second group of Guatemalan soldiers arrive in Haiti
Published:Monday | January 6, 2025 | 12:10 AM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC):
A second group of soldiers from Guatemala arrived in Haiti on Saturday, bringing to 150 the total number of the contingent in the country to fight armed gangs.
In a statement, the Guatemalan government said all of the reinforcements are from the country’s military police unit.
On arrival, the new soldiers, who paraded on the tarmac carrying their country’s flag, were welcomed by Godfrey Otunge, the Kenyan Commander of the Multinational Mission in Support of the Haitian National Police and Deputy Commander Colonel Kevron Henry of the Jamaica Defence Force.
In welcoming the new group, Otunge said they would increase the mission’s capacity to combat criminal groups.
“We are ready, and we will continue to be ready. The gangs will soon experience our full determination,” said Otunge, who added that the reign of armed gangs will end in 2025.
With the arrival of the Guatemalans, the Multinational Security Support (MMS) workforce has increased by 36.5 per cent in 48 hours and now has 590 police-military personnel: 400 Kenyans, 150 Guatemalans, eight Salvadorans, six Bahamians, 24 Jamaicans, and two Belizeans.
The MMS is an international police and military force approved by the United Nations Security Council in October 2023 to assist the government of Haiti in restoring law and order amid worsening civil strife and gang violence since 2018.