The Government of Kenya has announced that it will appeal the decision adopted this Friday by the country’s High Court and that prevented the deployment of the Kenyan police force that was going to lead the so-called Multinational Security Support Mission to contain the wave of criminal violence that It has been shaking Haiti for years.
The High Court ended up paralyzing the initiative by understanding that the Kenyan National Security Council, responsible for sending the contingent, in reality does not have powers to deploy police outside the country while the Kenyan Government understands that the deployment of this mission is legal because responds to compliance with the country’s international obligations.
The magistrate responsible for the ruling, Enock Mwita, has relied on article 240 of the Kenyan Constitution to prevent police deployment in a case initially presented by the opposition Ekuru Aukot, leader of the Third Way Alliance. The opposition had also stated his rejection of the economic cost of the deployment, estimated at 91 billion shillings, approximately 550 million euros.
The National Security Council, the magistrate argues, is only capable of deploying defensive forces and not members of the security services, hence “it lacks any mandate for the deployment of the National Police Service”, specifically the 1,000 troops that They were waiting for their action in Haiti, awaiting the court’s ruling, which was ultimately against it.
Hours later, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura announced the intention to appeal the court decision. “While the Government respects the rule of law, we have taken the decision to immediately challenge the High Court’s verdict, and we reiterate our commitment to comply with our international obligations,” he said.
Haiti has been practically in the hands of criminal gangs for months, particularly since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Murders and kidnappings are the order of the day, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and its most important neighborhoods such as Cite Soleil.
Among the latest kidnappings are those of six nuns who ended up in the hands of armed men last weekend and were finally freed on Wednesday after Pope Francis publicly pleaded with their captors last Sunday to release them. according to sources from the main Haitian media, such as AlterPresse or Loop.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of three million dollars (2.7 million euros) from the order of nuns, the Congregation of Santa Ana, but it is unknown if they have ended up paying it.
Foto: bing.com
