Kenya prepared to lead multinational force deployment to Haiti

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jul 2023 16:20

Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua says a UN force may leave for Haiti from Kenyan soil.

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua speaks during a news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Monday, April 24, 2023, at the State Department in Washington. (AP)

Kenya's Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua announced, on Saturday, Nairobi's readiness to lead a multinational force into Haiti to allegedly assist the government, which has been presumedly experiencing an increase in conflict between gangs and the police.

"At the request of Friends of Haiti Group of Nations, Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti," said Mutua before adding that "Kenya's commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police to restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations."

According to Mutua, the suggested deployment by Kenya is still pending receipt of a mandate from the UN Security Council and authorizations from Kenya.

The Kenyan FM concluded by saying, "An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks."

This comes following weeks of demonstrations and political instability in Nairobi where Kenya's opposition declared, also on Saturday, that it has reached an understanding with the government to establish a joint committee "to resolve our differences amicably."

"Determined to resolve our differences amicably for the benefit of all our people, we have therefore agreed with Kenya Kwanza to establish a committee," the opposition statement said while referring to the ruling party alliance.

Since opposition leader Raila Odinga urged Kenyans to protest in the streets in March, his Azimio alliance has organized nine days of occasionally violent demonstrations against President William Ruto's administration.

After at least 20 people died in the protests, Odinga, who claims that the presidential election last year was "stolen" from him, has accused the government of being in charge of a cost-of-living problem and using excessive force against the public.

Calls for negotiations between the two sides have been sparked by the upheaval in one of East Africa's most stable democracies, although Odinga had previously ruled out negotiations without a third-party mediator.

Azimio said that with the "facilitation" of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, they had reached an agreement with the government to form a committee of 10 people, with equal representation, to discuss the issue.

There was no other information given regarding the committee's schedule or the topics it will cover.