Nairobi.- A Kenyan police officer who was part of the
Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti and two civilians died in a traffic accident during a mission to recover an armored vehicle in the capital of the Caribbean country,
Port-au-Prince, confirmed this Monday the Kenyan Police.
According to a statement from Kenyan security forces, the events occurred on Sunday around 5:00 p.m. local time in Haiti (9:00 p.m. GMT) in the Kenscoff area, when the armored car used to tow the other vehicle crashed into a wall, causing the second one to overturn.
“During the towing process, the unfortunate accident occurred, which also claimed the lives of two civilians and injured eight other MSS agents. Three of the injured are in serious condition and are currently receiving medical assistance in the hospital,” said the Police of the African country.
Following the accident, the repatriation of the Kenyan police officer’s body is being organized.
“The National Police Service (NPS) offers its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the fallen officer,” the statement highlighted.
“As a service, we remain committed to achieving lasting peace and security for the people of Haiti,” he concluded.
In another statement, MSS spokesperson, Jack Ombaka, confirmed the accident this Sunday and explained that it happened when “one of the vehicles crashed into a wall while towing the other, which then overturned”.
The MSS is an initiative requested by the Haitian authorities, led by Kenya, financially backed by the United States, and approved by the United Nations Security Council, which seeks to support the security forces of the island nation in their fight against armed gangs, which control 90% of the capital and other areas of the country.
The mission is made up of about 1,000 personnel, most of them from Kenya.
You may be interested in: A new group of 144 Kenyan police officers leaves for Haiti to fight gangs
According to UN data,
Haiti recorded a 24% increase in intentional homicides in the first six months of the year, reaching a total of 4,026 murders.
In addition, gang violence has caused the internal displacement of around 1.3 million people.
