Central American troops arrive in Haiti to reinforce mission to restore order

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — About 150 military police officers from Central America have arrived in Haiti to reinforce the embattled government's fight against violent gangs that have upended daily life for millions in the Caribbean country.

The deployment of around 75 security officers, mostly from Guatemala, was greeted Saturday at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince by the Kenyan commander of the U.N.-backed mission that for months has been struggling to restore order.

“The gangs have only two choices: surrender, lay down their weapons, and face justice, or face us in the field,” the officer, Godfrey Otunge, said in remarks at a welcoming ceremony. “With the addition of the Guatemalan and El Salvador forces, the gangs will have nowhere to hide. We will root them out of their enclave.”

A similar sized contingent, which also included a small number of forces from El Salvador, traveled aboard a U.S. Air Force aircraft and was greeted Friday by top Haitian officials and U.S. Ambassador Dennis Hankins.

Coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport have intensified in Haiti since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Gangs are estimated to control about 85% of the capital.

In what is perhaps the most brazen attack yet, gunmen opened fire on a crowd that gathered on Christmas Eve for the much-anticipated reopening of Haiti's biggest public hospital, which was closed after being rampaged by gangs earlier this year. Two journalists covering the event and a police officer were killed.

Prior to this week's deployment, the international mission seeking to quell the violence was led by around 400 security officers from Kenya. Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad have also pledged personnel although it isn't clear when they would be sent.

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