Nairobi — A disturbing video has surfaced showing a Kenyan police officer, believed to be a member of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, in the hands of suspected gang members.
The amateur footage, seemingly recorded on a mobile phone, shows the officer motionless on the ground as one of the assailants slaps him. It remains unclear whether the officer is alive or dead.
MSS has confirmed that the officer went missing following an ambush by suspected gang members in the Artibonite Department.
According to MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka, the officer disappeared on March 25 at around 16:30 hrs when a routine patrol by the Haitian National Police (HNP) encountered difficulties along the Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply Route. The HNP's armoured vehicle became stuck in what is suspected to be a deliberately dug ditch.
MSS deployed two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from Pont-Sonde to assist, but the rescue operation took a turn for the worse when one MRAP also got stuck, and the other suffered a mechanical failure.
"As the rescue teams attempted to resolve the situation, suspected gang members lying in wait launched an attack," Ombaka stated.
The fate of the missing officer remains unknown. MSS has confirmed that specialized teams have been deployed to locate him and assess the situation.
"A comprehensive brief will follow," Ombaka added.
The incident comes a week after another Kenyan officer was shot during an operation in Kenscoff, within the Belot area. He was evacuated to ASPEN Level 2 Hospital, where he is receiving medical attention and is in stable condition.
A month earlier, on February 23, Constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai was shot and killed in the same region while on duty.
Kenya has deployed at least 800 police officers under the UN-backed mission aimed at stabilizing the Caribbean nation.
In February, the fourth contingent of the Kenyan police unit left for Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, to join their counterparts. Of the 144 officers in this contingent, 24 are women, according to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration.
Haiti has faced a surge in violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, prompting the international security intervention. The MSS mission was approved by the UN Security Council in October 2023, with the first Kenyan police units deployed in June last year.
