In Haiti, an additional 217 Kenyan police officers have been deployed as part of a multinational force to control gang violence in the Caribbean country.

According to Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, the police officers departed from Kenya on Friday.

The Kenyan troops arrived at the airport in Port-au-Prince and were greeted by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime. The troops will join the first batch of 400 officers deployed to Haiti last year.

"The arrival of these reinforcements marks a crucial step in freeing our country from the grip of criminal networks and restoring peace," the prime minister said.

Why is Kenya sending soldiers to Haiti?

Last June, a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) under UN auspices began to curb the rise in gang violence.

"The Kenya-led mission has made tremendous progress in reducing gang violence, earning praise across the globe," Mukomen said.

 Kenya's "commitment to this historic mission is unwavering," he said.

However, despite the efforts, the UN estimates that about 85% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, is still controlled by criminal gangs.

Haiti has been grappling with the issue of soaring gang violence which has left more than 700,000 Haitians homeless in recent years.

The country also reported 5,600 deaths due to gang violence.

According to Kenyan President William Ruto, the plan is to send some 2,500 police officers to Haiti.

Last year, the UN Security Council extended the mission's mandate without discussing whether to place it under direct UN control, as requested by many Haitian authorities. 

mfi/sms (AFP AP)