Jamaican soldiers and police arrive in Haiti to help fight criminal gangs

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two dozen soldiers and police officers from Jamaica has arrived in Haiti to join a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya to fight powerful gangs. Jamaica is the second country to join the mission that the U.N. Security Council approved in October 2023. It began when the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti in late June. Earlier this week, authorities in Jamaica announced the imminent deployment and said the 20 soldiers and four police officers would be responsible for providing command, planning and logistics support. They arrived Thursday and will work alongside Haiti’s military and police to fight gangs that control 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince.