UN appoints former Haiti PM Conille to Kenya role

PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 1 (Reuters) – Former Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has been appointed U.N. resident coordinator in Kenya, the U.N. said on Wednesday, adding he would take up his post that same day.

Conille’s second term as prime minister, for six months in 2024, coincided with the first deployments of Kenyan troops as part of a U.N.-backed force mandated to help Haitian police restore security amid violent conflict with armed gangs.

Kenya led the initial U.N.-backed force which has since been restructured into the Gang Suppression Force. Authorities in neighboring Dominican Republic said Kenyan forces are expected to withdraw gradually as they are replaced by other nations.

Less than 1,000 troops – mostly Kenyans – were in Haiti as of early this year. The force aims for some 5,500 by summer but few nations have committed troops.

The gangs have meanwhile formed broad alliances that have cemented control over most of the capital Port-au-Prince and expanded their reach over swathes of rural and central Haiti.

Conille was succeeded by Alix Didier Fils-Aime, who gained full executive power from the country’s then-ruling council in February.

Conille also served as prime minister for four months in the early 2010s. In both cases, he ended his term amid political infighting among the country’s leaders.

He has worked with the U.N. since 1999, holding a broad range of roles, including regional director for UNICEF.

(Reporting by Harold Isaac and Sarah Morland; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)