Military troops from Central America arrive in Haiti to reinforce UN backed mission

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Around 150 military police officers from Central America have arrived in Haiti to support the government’s efforts to combat the escalating violence caused by powerful gangs that have disrupted daily life for millions.

The first group of approximately 75 officers, mainly from Guatemala, was welcomed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince on Saturday by Godfrey Otunge, the Kenyan commander of the UN-backed mission that has been working for months to restore order in the country. In a statement at the welcoming ceremony, Otunge issued a stern warning to the gangs: “The gangs have only two choices: surrender, lay down their weapons, and face justice, or face us in the field. With the addition of the Guatemalan and El Salvador forces, the gangs will have nowhere to hide. We will root them out of their enclave.”

A similar-sized contingent, which also included a small number of forces from El Salvador, arrived in Haiti on Friday aboard a US Air Force aircraft. The troops were greeted by top Haitian officials and US Ambassador Dennis Hankins upon their arrival. Gang-led assaults on prisons, police stations, and the country’s main international airport have escalated in recent years. These gangs are now estimated to control about 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, further destabilizing the country.