The United States has frozen some of its financial contributions to a United Nations fund for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.

The security mission led by Kenyan police officers is fighting armed gangs, led by Jimmy Cherizier alias Barbecue, in the Caribbean country.

Speaking on Tuesday, the United Nations Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said United States President Donald Trump’s administration had announced that it would be suspending KSh 1.7 billion in pending aid to the mission.

"We received an official notification from the US asking for an immediate stop work order on their contribution," Dujarric said.

This is a big blow to the already under-funded Kenya-led force, with previous reports claiming the police officers’ pay is sometimes delayed due to limited funds.

The suspension comes days after Kenya sent additional police officers to Haiti to combat the gangs.

Notably, since June 2024, Kenya’s police, in collaboration with officers from Jamaica, Bahamas, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize, have made substantial progress in combating criminal gangs.

This led to the reopening of schools and colleges, as well as the reopening of courts on October 2 and 7, 2024, respectively.

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