Kenya’s High Court has extended an order blocking the government from deploying police officers to Haiti on a UN-backed mission aiming to tackle violence in the Caribbean nation.
The ruling came a day after the UN warned that security in Haiti, where violent gangs control large swathes of the country, has collapsed even further, with major crimes hitting “record highs”.
Kenya had offered to lead a multinational force to Haiti in an effort to quell the troubles. It also pledged to deploy 1,000 of its police officers.
But earlier this month, the court granted an interim injunction in a case brought by opposition politician Ekuru Aukot, who argued the constitution does not envisage the deployment of police officers outside of the country.
He also said he would sue the cabinet for contempt of court after they approved the deployment despite a court order being in place.
Kenya’s parliament will need give formal consent to the mission before the deployment can start.
However, a legal team representing parliament said MPs cannot debate the issue until the court order is lifted.
Following months of gang violence, Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry had called for international help, saying his government was overwhelmed.
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