Kenya’s President William Ruto has welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution to send a Kenya-led multinational force aimed at containing gang violence in Haiti.
He said the mission "shall succeed in Haiti” and was about the rebuilding of the Caribbean nation.
Haiti has been in turmoil, with armed gangs taking over parts of the country and unleashing brutal violence, and the economy and public health system also in tatters.
Monday's resolution passed with 13 votes in favour, with China and Russia abstaining.
It was hailed by Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus as bringing a "glimmer of hope for people who have been suffering the consequences of a difficult political, socio-economic, security and humanitarian situation for too long."
'Different footprint'
Ruto said the Kenya-led force “will provide a different footprint in the history of international interventions in Haiti.”
"It is aimed solely at providing an appropriate environment for the leadership, both of the political and civil society sectors to usher in stability development and democratic governance," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Kenya has proposed to deploy 1,000 police officers for the mission. They will reinforce the Haiti police and secure the country's critical infrastructure, including air, seaports and vital highways.
However critics have questioned the country's capacity to take on Haitian gangs as well as the complexity of the mission.
Rights group have also pointed to Kenyan police's record of using excessive force against civilians and accusations of extra-judicial killings.
Read more: Can Kenya succeed in Haiti gang warfare where others failed?
