NAIROBI – The US is sustaining pressure on Kenya to proceed with the police deployment to Haiti, even after Nairobi said it would be dependent on the situation on the ground.
President William Ruto on Wednesday said he had a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the developments in the Caribbean nation facing gang violence, and assured him that Kenya would still deploy.
The President said Secretary Blinken briefed him on the decision of the Summit of Caribbean Countries (Caricom) and the US, together with other partners, on the political situation in Haiti.
“He informed me that a new Presidential Council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti.
“I assured Secretary Blinken that Kenya will take leadership of the UN Security Support Mission in Haiti to restore peace and security in Haiti as soon as the Presidential Council is in place under an agreed process,” Ruto said through a statement.
The Presidential Council is a transitional leadership arrangement following the resignation of Prime Minister Arier Henry.
The critical ground situation is that there has to be an authority that can be the basis for a police deployment, that enjoys constitutional authority in Haiti,
PS Korir Sing’Oei
Just five days ago on March 9, the two spoke on the phone over the same issue.
The State Department readout said President Ruto and Secretary Blinken “underscored unwavering commitment to the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to support the Haitian National Police in creating the security conditions necessary to conduct free and fair elections”.
KENYA PAUSES DEPLOYMENT
The latest call comes just a day after Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei on Tuesday said Kenya had halted the deployment of 1,000 police officers following the resignation of PM Henry on Monday.
“The critical ground situation is that there has to be an authority that can be the basis for a police deployment, that enjoys constitutional authority in Haiti,” Sing’Oei said.
“Without a political administration in Haiti, there is no anchor on which a police deployment can rest,” he added.
Reacting to the Kenyan announcement, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters: “We would be concerned of course about any delay (in the deployment), but we don’t think that there will need to be a delay.”
“If you look at what the Kenyan government said in its statement is that they have to have a government with which to collaborate, which has been an important part of their understanding. It’s a perfectly natural thing to expect,” he added.
The US has also doubled its funding of the Haiti multinational mission, adding another $100 million.
Blinken on announced the additional funding on Monday following a CARICOM meeting with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica.
He further announced another $33 million in humanitarian aid and the creation of a joint proposal agreed on by Caribbean leaders and “all of the Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition”.
On March 11, Nate Evans, spokesperson for the US mission at the UN said members of the Security Council are united behind the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti – and expect and hope it will be deployed “as soon as possible”.
“The Haitian people are calling for the support of the international community. They need and deserve security, stability, and an inclusive political process,” he said on X.
US WON’T DEPLOY
On Wednesday, March 6, the US urged PM Henry, who was at the time still stuck in Puerto Rico, to expedite a political transition.
The State Department said the US was not pushing for Henry to resign, but wanted him to “expedite” a transition of political power, even as armed gangs sought his ouster.
But as Haiti descends into chaos, the US has maintained it won’t send troops, and won’t help Henry return home.
Last week, Washington said it would not send troops to Haiti even after the eruption of gang violence on February 29, when powerful gang leaders launched a wave of deadly and coordinated attacks on state institutions.
Even after after a frantic 72 hours of communication between US and Haitian diplomatic officials raised the prospect of an emergency deployment of special forces as reported by agencies, National security council official told The Guardian: “The United States is not sending US troops to Haiti to support the Haitian national police’s security operations.”
“We are urgently mobilizing all support we and the international community can immediately provide Haiti, especially to the Haitian national police, to ensure they are able to restore security for the sake of the people,” the official said.
