EU calls for the deployment of multinational security forces in Haiti

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
19 Mar 2024 00:43

As Haiti remains entangled in an armed conflict, the European Union has urged the deployment of foreign troops on its grounds for security reasons.

A person lifts a sheet to look at the identity of a body lying on the ground after an overnight shooting in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP)

The European Union Foreign Affairs Council has called for the deployment of multinational security forces in Haiti amid the expansion of its armed conflict, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on Monday.

"We also discussed recent developments in Haiti. We support a viable, inclusive, and sustainable Haiti and a lead political transition. We emphasize the importance of deploying the multinational security support mission authorized by the United Nations Security Council," Borrell said during a council meeting in Brussels.

Amidst Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry's visit to Kenya on February 29 to negotiate the deployment of foreign forces to combat organized crime in Haiti, gang violence broke out in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Despite the Prime Minister announcing his resignation on Tuesday, the gangs are aiming to prevent Henry's return to Haiti. Gang violence has led to the storming of the country's largest prison and the release of an undetermined number of inmates.

In light of these events, the Haitian government declared a state of emergency in the capital region.

US to deploy Navy vessels to Haiti

The United States will deploy several naval vessels to Haiti, claiming that this measure is in response to a potential event of mass migration caused by the worsening security situation in the country.

"I have put in a request for increased capability to do exactly that. We are ready if we need to deal with a mass migration," commander of US Southern Command Laura Richardson told Congressman Matt Gaetz last week when asked if the US Navy would assist.

Richardson stated that the US military and other federal agencies conducted a comprehensive review of contingency plans for a large-scale migration event in the region during an exercise at Guantanamo Bay last summer.