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Kenya Pauses Police Deployment to Haiti After PM’s Resignation But Promises to Restore Peace

17:49, 13 March 2024

Christina Glazkova

Writer / Editor

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Last fall, Kenya offered 1,000 police officers to Haiti, but a local court blocked the action as illegal. This month, Kenya and Haiti signed a "reciprocal" deal to send East African police to lead a UN-backed law-and-order operation in the island nation, Kenya's President William Ruto said.

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Kenya has decided to temporarily halt its deployment of 1,000 police officers to lead an international security mission in Haiti in response to Prime Minister Ariel Henry's declaration of his intention to resign, the Western media reported on Tuesday, citing Abraham Korir Sing'Oei, the principal secretary at the foreign ministry.

"[Whether we deploy] is contingent on the ground situation, and 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," the official was quoted as saying.

Reacting to the Kenyan announcement, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that it was "a perfectly natural thing to expect," according to the media.

"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," Miller said, as cited by the report.

Kenya's President William Ruto said on Wednesday that he was briefed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the decision of the Summit of Caribbean Countries on the political situation in Haiti and stated that under an agreed-upon procedure, Kenya will assume leadership of the United Nations Security Support Mission in Haiti to restore peace and security in the country once the Presidential Council is established.

"[Blinken] 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," the post on X read.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Benin Pledges 2,000 Troops to Haiti Force Amid Ongoing Crisis in Caribbean State, US Ambassador Says

27 February, 13:24

Haiti has been unstable for years, with armed gangs seizing control of parts of the country and unleashing deadly bloodshed, wreaking havoc on the economy and public health system.

The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 exacerbated the country's turmoil. No elections have been held since 2016, and the presidency remains vacant.

In October 2022, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry urged the international community to establish a "specialized armed force" to safeguard the country's stability.

The mission was approved by the United Nations in October 2023. According to the UN, the conflict on the Caribbean island killed over 5,000 people last year and forced approximately 300,000 people to flee their homes.