It was a dedicated Rameau Normil who addressed the population at his first joint press briefing with the commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), Kenyan Police Inspector Godfrey Otunge, at the Haitian National Police Headquarters in Clercine this Monday, July 8, 2024.
From the outset, the new head of the Haitian police force set the tone: “We must act without delay on the issue of security. There have been several meetings with the Kenyan mission to address the issue of security,” he says.
“We were in the period of evaluating and planning the actions we will take to combat armed gangs,” informs Rameau Normil, who advocates what he calls a marriage between the population and the police.
According to assessments by the new PNH command, “There are 7 communes that have had no police presence for 2 years. The buildings are empty and this makes it easier for gangs to attack police stations”.
“I am taking all measures to enable all police officers to return to their posts, just as we are fighting to enable the population to return to the homes they fled because of the violence of armed gangs”.
This was an opportunity for Rameau Normil to give an update on the PNH’s measures, which he said had already reinforced the base of the Brigade d’opération et d’intervention (BOID) located in the Fort National district of Port-au-Prince. The police have also regained full control of the Haitian State University Hospital (HUEH), used by gangs to attack the Palais National and other buildings in the center of the city.
“Lawouze taye banda toutan solèy pa leve (Dew reigns as long as the sun doesn’t rise, editor’s note)”, Rameau Normil swings at the gangs sowing terror in the country, arguing that the PNH will review its “outdated” intervention strategies to go after the thugs. “There is no day or date for operations… We have strategies for attacking gangs because we know how they work. Playtime is over. I guarantee you that we will soon have to move all over the country”.
“I’m giving the entire police force the power to attack gangs all over the country”, says the police chief, who says he has the support of the authorities of the Presidential Transitional Council, Prime Minister Garry Conille and other members of the government.
The population must stop falling prey to bandits. And there must be no lost territory in the country. The whole country must be controlled by the State,” he concludes.
For his part, the commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), Kenyan Police Inspector Godfrey Otunge, reiterated the Kenyan police force’s determination to carry out its mission in Haiti in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution.
“We have a job to do and we will succeed in our work to enable peace to return throughout Haiti. We are ready to work with committed international partners for a new Haiti. There is no possibility of us failing in our mandate,” he says.
“It was the Security Council that gave us the mandate to support the Haitian police to restore security and create the secure conditions for elections to take place in the country. We will help the police to strengthen themselves and we are very determined to conduct joint operations with them to combat gangs and improve security in the country”, says the Commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), Kenyan Police Inspector Godfrey Otunge.
“In our operations, we will abide by international and national laws to carry out our mandate while respecting human rights,” concludes Godfrey Otunge.
