NAIROBI,Kenya, Sep 26 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the proposed Police Mission to Haiti follows a request by the country’s government, denying claims that the move is driven by the global powers.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said Tuesday that ten other nations have indicated their willingness to send troops and/or finance the multinational security support mission in the violence-hit Caribbean nation.
Haiti has been grappling with a surge in violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 at his private residence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, triggering calls for a security intervention to complement the efforts of understaffed and under resourced Haiti national police force.
The Foreign Affairs CS emphasized that Kenya’s exceptional track record in peacekeeping missions around the world, coupled with a shared heritage, influenced Haiti’s decision to accept Kenyan support.
“Kenya is one of the most successful and sought-after Nations for peace keeping Missions as we play our part as a member of the family of nations,” he told reporters in Nairobi claiming that a majority of Haitians are in support of the Kenyan-led UN backed intervention.
“It is because of Kenya’s stellar performance that the Government of Haiti requested Kenya to lead a Police Mission to help stabilise and bring order to their country.”
UN mandate in weeks
He disclosed Kenya was working with other partners to get a United Nations mandate.
Mutua stressed that Kenya would soon initiate discussions to secure support for the necessary deployment, with a goal of having Kenyan police officers on the ground in Haiti within a few months.
“We expect the UN mandate within the next few weeks. After that we will deploy to Haiti, latest by early January,” Mutua said, adding that they have started planning logistics, equipment, personnel head of deployment.
As part of the preparatory efforts, Mutua revealed that the government has already commenced French language training for some of the officers, considering the linguistic context of Haiti.
When questioned about why the United States declined to lead the mission, Mutua clarified that the U.S., as Haiti’s neighbor, opted not to take the lead role, but Kenya could not sit back and watch Haitians suffer.
US backing
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III on Monday lauded Kenya’s willingness to lead a multinational security support mission in Haiti.
Speaking Monday during his trip to Kenya, Austin announced that the US was prepared to support the Haiti mission by providing “substantial financial and logistical assistance.”
“We intend to work with United States Congress to provide up to 100 million dollars in support,” Austin said during A ceremony that saw Kenya and the US sign a five-year framework for Defence Cooperation.
The agreement solidifies their commitment to enhance bilateral relations and bolster defense capabilities.
Secretary Austin called upon the international community to follow Kenya’s lead by contributing more personnel, and offering support, training, and funding.
He reiterated the United States’ commitment to partnering with Kenya in efforts to bring stability and security to the region and beyond.
Kenya’s Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale affirmed Kenya’s readiness to be part of the multi-national peace keeping force to restore peace in the violence-hit state.
Duale said that Kenya is equal to the task given that her troops have taken part in similar peacekeeping missions in different countries across the globe.
“Kenya has a very long history of global peacekeeping. We were in Kosovo, Namibia. We are in Somalia and in DRC and we also have our officers in the Tigray monitoring and evaluation mechanism.” Duale said.
“When all the processes beginning with the approval by the United Nations security Council are put in place, Kenya is willing and ready to lead that multi-national security force that will go to Haiti.”
