Trump supporter secures deal to fight gangs and collect tax in Haiti

As Haitians continue to face violence from armed gangs, a prominent supporter of US President Donald Trump says his private security company will soon deploy personnel to the country.

Erik Prince, a former US Navy Seal, says Vectus Global, has secured a 10-year deal with Haiti’s government.

It includes fighting the criminal gangs who control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and large swathes of the country, paralysing transport routes and fuelling hunger.

A partially-deployed United Nations-backed force, led by Kenya, has had little effect in helping the police force reclaim territory.

Prince says he can secure Haiti’s main roads and gain control over areas in about a year. He added that Vectus will then take a role in restoring the country’s tax collection system.

The company has been operating in the island nation since March, but sources told Reuters news agency that it will intensify its actions against the gangs with snipers, helicopters, and boats.

Prince previously founded the controversial security firm Blackwater.

A Trump administration official said the US government has no involvement with the hiring of Vectus Global by the Haitian government. The official added that the US is also not funding the contract or exercising any oversight.

Ongoing fighting in Haiti has seen more than 3,000 people killed this year alone and resulted in widespread food insecurity.

The UN says over 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced by the violence, representing the largest displacement due to political upheaval in the country’s history.