In a significant development, Benin has extended support by offering 2,000 troops to aid a planned international force led by Kenya aimed at assisting Haiti national police in combatting armed gangs.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield shared this information during a press conference, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the conflict in Haiti, according to Reuters.

The United Nations had authorized this mission in October, responding to a request from Haiti's unelected government.

The conflict in Haiti resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 5,000 lives last year, with approximately 300,000 people displaced from their homes, according to UN estimates.

Speaking in Guyana during the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit, Thomas-Greenfield revealed that Benin's troop offer came to light just before her trip.

She mentioned that some Caribbean nations advocating for increased support had called for more Francophone nations to join the mission.

During the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last week, the US announced financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments to the mission, along with contributions from Benin, France, and Canada, which pledged 80.5 million Canadian dollars ($60 million).

The United States, in addition to financial commitments, has allocated $200 million to intensify efforts to curb the flow of illicit arms to the Caribbean, particularly from the United States.

Notably, the UN has identified that firearms used by Haiti gangs are largely smuggled from the United States.

Thomas-Greenfield shared that Guyana has also committed funds to the mission, although the exact amount was not disclosed.

Deployment Planning and Legal Hurdles

Government officials from Haiti, the United States, and Kenya recently concluded a planning conference to address the rising threat from criminal gangs in Haiti.

Despite the commitment and planning, the timing of the multinational force's arrival remains uncertain.

A recent ruling by a Kenya high court deemed it unconstitutional to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti without a police-sharing agreement.

The Kenyan government plans to appeal this ruling, and discussions are underway between Haitian and Kenyan officials to draft a memorandum of understanding.

This document, a prerequisite set by the Constitutional Court of Kenya, is expected to be finalized early next week.

During discussions in Washington, the Haitian government formalized collaboration with the US Homeland Security Investigations through a memorandum of cooperation.

This led to the establishment of the Haiti Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit, focusing on enhancing information exchange and strengthening the investigative capacities of both nations against transnational crimes.

Haiti Gangs Violence Surge and Regional Support

Haiti has witnessed a surge in gang violence, resulting in over 8,400 people reported killed, injured, or kidnapped in the past year, more than double the figures from the previous year.

Haiti gangs, controlling a significant portion of the capital, Port-au-Prince, have left more than 310,000 people homeless due to territorial conflicts, Aol noted.

Despite the challenges, the Bahamas, Belize, and Jamaica, members of the Caricom regional trade bloc, have offered to send troops and police officers to support the mission.

Guyana, hosting the Caricom summit, has pledged monetary assistance to the initiative.

Following closed-door discussions with Caribbean leaders, Thomas-Greenfield emphasized the need for collective efforts to address the complex situation in Haiti.

The specifics of the discussions were not immediately disclosed, and regional leaders were not available for immediate comment.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Haiti in crisis: UN says gang violence on level of a war zone - From Al Jazeera English