PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The gradual withdrawal of Kenyan security personnel from Haiti is raising fears of a widening security vacuum, as local forces struggle to contain entrenched gang violence across the capital.
Officials from the Haitian National Police say the reduced presence of Kenyan officers has already weakened frontline operations in several high-risk areas, previously stabilised through joint patrols.
Police Director General Vladimir Paraison warned that the situation is becoming increasingly fragile, citing diminished patrol visibility in key hotspots, including Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas, and the central districts of Port-au-Prince.
“The reduced visibility of Kenyan forces is already being felt,” he said, noting that their presence had been critical in supporting coordinated security operations.
Kenyan personnel had been deployed as part of an international security support arrangement aimed at assisting Haiti in restoring order amid escalating gang control over urban territories.
The current phase involves the withdrawal of nearly 500 Kenyan officers. However, uncertainty surrounds the planned replacement force, known as the Gang Repression Force (FRG), which has yet to be fully deployed.
Initial timelines had projected the FRG’s rollout by April 2026, but officials now say readiness and deployment schedules remain unclear, raising concerns about a potential operational gap.
Local leaders have begun to voice alarm. In Kenscoff, Mayor Massillon Jean said the absence of Kenyan patrols has heightened fears of renewed gang activity in areas that had recently experienced relative calm.
Residents in affected neighbourhoods are reportedly anxious about a resurgence of armed groups as security coverage declines.
In response, the Haitian government has moved to reinforce domestic capacity. Defence Minister Mario Andrésol confirmed the deployment of soldiers from the Armed Forces of Haiti, with numbers expected to reach about 400 by the end of April.
Authorities say the military will support the police by securing reclaimed areas and strengthening territorial control, while the police remain at the forefront of enforcement operations.
The government is also accelerating recruitment and training, with plans to induct more than 1,200 new army personnel to bolster long-term security capacity.
The situation underscores the challenges facing international security interventions, particularly in ensuring continuity during troop rotations or withdrawals.
For Kenya, the mission has been part of a broader foreign policy engagement in global peace support operations.
However, developments in Haiti now highlight the complexities of exit strategies and the risks of leaving fragile security environments without fully operational replacement structures.
