During his visit to Haiti, Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his willingness for Kenya's anti-gang mission in the country to be transformed into a comprehensive UN peacekeeping operation, media reported on Saturday.
Ruto visited Haiti to evaluate the progress of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, in which Kenya is taking a leading role to address severe gang violence that has led to years of political instability and mass displacement.
The MSS mission's mandate, initially authorized by the United Nations Security Council for 12 months, is set to expire at the beginning of October.
"On the suggestion to transit this into a fully UN Peacekeeping mission, we have absolutely no problem with it, if that is the direction the UN security council wants to take," Ruto was quoted as saying.
Following the Security Council's approval of the MSS mission, Kenya deployed around 400 police officers to Port-au-Prince in June and July.
Ruto also reportedly mentioned that the next group of 600 officers is undergoing redeployment training. Kenya expects to be ready for the mission within a few weeks and looks forward to receiving the necessary support for their deployment.
UN human rights expert William O'Neill stated on Friday that the people of Haiti are still suffering from serious human rights abuses. Gangs have been using sexual violence to control the population, and this has increased a lot in recent months. Gangs are also trafficking more children, forcing them to join, and often using them to attack public buildings and police operations.