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Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council has confirmed that a Kenyan police officer, who went missing during a mission in Haiti, is dead.
The officer, Benedict Kabiru, was part of a UN-supported security team helping to fight gang violence. He died on March 25 in the town of Savien, near Pont-Sondé, in the lower Artibonite area.
The CPT sent their condolences to Kabiru’s family, the Kenyan people, and government. They praised him and other officers for their courage and for working with Haitian police to make the country safer.
The council promised that those responsible for the attack will be punished. They said criminals and anyone helping them would face justice. The CPT also said it will continue working with both Haitian and international partners to bring peace and security.
A video that looked like amateur footage taken on a cell phone had appeared online showing Kabiru on the ground, possibly already dead, being slapped by someone believed to be a gang member. It was not clear from the video whether he was still alive at the time.
The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission said Kabiru went missing after a patrol ran into trouble on a main road.
A police vehicle got stuck in a ditch, which had possibly been dug as a trap by criminals, and two more armored rescue vehicles were sent. But one broke down with mechanical failure and the other also got stuck. While trying to get free, the group was ambushed by gunmen.
The CPT did not say if Kabiru’s body has been recovered.
This death came just a week after another Kenyan officer was shot in the Belot area. That officer survived and is now being treated in hospital. A third Kenyan officer, Constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, was killed on duty in the same region on February 23.
Kenya has sent at least 800 police officers to help restore order in Haiti as part of a UN-backed mission.
Source: CapitalFM
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