NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — A Kenyan force to lead a multinational mission to tackle gang violence in Haiti left Nairobi late Monday, interior minister Kithure Kindiki said.

“Honoured to see off the first batch of the contingent of the National Police Service officers who are part of the historic United Nations Mission to Haiti,” Kindiki said in a statement.

Kenya offered to send about 1,000 police to stabilise Haiti alongside personnel from several other countries, but the deployment has run into legal challenges in the East African nation.

Some 400 police officers departed Nairobi at 10:50 pm (1950 GMT) aboard the national carrier, Kenya Airways, an official at the interior ministry told AFP.

The police chief and officials from the interior ministry saw the officers off, he said.

The group comprises elite officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit, General Service Unit, Administration Police, and Kenya Police.

President William Ruto bid a ceremonial goodbye to the officers on Monday and handed them a Kenyan national flag.

“Your presence in Haiti will bring hope and relief to communities torn apart by violence and ravaged by disorder,” he said, adding that the rest of the force will join their colleagues “soon”.

The deployment was approved by a UN Security Council resolution in October, only to be delayed by a Kenyan court decision in January.