When the first Kenyan contingent arrived at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on June 25, 2024, followed by the second contingent in July, many questioned how they would overcome the language barrier in Haiti, where French and Creole are the primary languages.
What many didn’t know was that the French government, through the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie had already initiated pre-deployment French classes to prepare the Multinational Security Support (MSS) personnel.
Additional language training, including French and Creole, was also conducted in Haiti to enhance the team’s communication skills and intercultural competence.
So far, more than 1,000 police and military personnel have been trained in French and Creole, not only in Kenya but also in Guatemala, Belize, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda.
This initiative, funded by France through the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie and the Institut Français, involved an investment of Sh260 million.
On Saturday December 14, 2024, French Ambassador to Haiti, Antoine Michon, officiated the ceremony to award French language course certificates to over 400 MSS personnel who had completed the training.
Michon expressed his delight at witnessing members of the Kenyan contingent fluently conversing in both French and Creole.
He reaffirmed France’s commitment to the success of the MSS mission, emphasizing that linguistic training for contingents would continue.
In addition to language training, Michon highlighted France’s contribution to the MSS mission through financial support for the mission’s trust fund.
He also praised Kenya for its bold decision to deploy police officers to Haiti, calling it a powerful symbol of solidarity between Kenya and Haiti.
MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge expressed gratitude to the French government for its linguistic and material support.
He said the training had equipped MSS personnel with the skills, cultural knowledge, and competence necessary for effective engagement with the Haitian population and the Haitian National Police (HNP).
“The collaboration between Kenya, Haiti, and France reflects a shared commitment to ensuring the success of the MSS mission and strengthening international solidarity,” said the ambassador.
Kenya has deployed about 400 officers since June to lead the MSS, which is meant to comprise around 2,500 personnel from about 10 countries, but the force has been hobbled by funding and staffing shortfalls.
Only a handful of officers from the other countries have arrived in Haiti, and a pledge in October by President William Ruto to send another 600 officers the following month did not materialise.
This is due to various challenges including ongoing violence on the ground that has grounded operations at the main airport in Port-au-Prince.
The additional troops are ready to be deployed anytime, officials said.
Gang violence that has killed thousands across Haiti over the past two years has worsened recently, with armed groups spreading last month into some of the last parts of the capital Port-au-Prince that were not already under their control.
The UN-backed mission receives funds voluntarily from donor countries through a trust fund.
However, the failure by donor countries to fulfill their promises has led to logistical challenges for the Kenyan officers in the Caribbean nation.
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