PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Nearly 200 private contractors from Vectus Global, a firm led by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince, will be deployed to Haiti under a one-year deal to combat gang violence.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Vectus Global, Erik Prince, Haitian government officials, Haitian National Police, and United Nations-backed Kenyan police officers.
WHEN & WHERE: The deployment to Haiti is set to begin soon and will last for one year.
IMPACT: The deployment aims to assist Haiti in reclaiming gang-controlled areas, but concerns remain over potential legal and sovereignty issues.
IN FULL
The private security firm Vectus Global, led by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince, will deploy nearly 200 contractors to Haiti under a one-year deal to combat gang violence. The move is intended to help Haiti’s government recover territory seized by heavily armed gangs in recent years.
The contractors, who will come from America, Europe, and other regions, are expected to support Haiti’s National Police and a United Nations (UN)-backed mission led by Kenyan police officers. This mission has struggled to suppress gang violence due to limited personnel and funding. According to a UN report, the mission currently has 991 personnel but requires 2,500 to meet its goals.
The U.S. government has denied any involvement in hiring Vectus Global for this mission. A Trump administration official clarified that the U.S. is neither funding the contract nor exercising oversight. Haiti’s government has not commented on the arrangement.
Haiti has been plagued by escalating gang violence, with the Viv Ansanm gang federation playing a significant role. This group, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States, has been responsible for large-scale attacks, including prison raids and the temporary closure of Haiti’s main international airport.
Over 1,500 people were killed and more than 600 injured in gang-related violence in Haiti from April to June of this year, according to the UN.
Image by Gage Skidmore.
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