Kenya reassures US on commitment to lead UN-backed force into Haiti
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Kenya's President assures US State Secretary Blinken that his country will be ready to take on the mission once a presidential council in Haiti is formed.
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Soldiers from the Kenya Defense Forces attend a flag presentation ceremony by Kenyan President William Ruto before deploying to the Democratic Republic of Congo in November 2022 (AFP)
Kenyan President William Ruto told the United States on Wednesday that his country is still prepared to lead a multinational force to be deployed in Haiti once the Carribean country establishes a presidential council.
This comes after Nairobi said on Tuesday it was putting plans to send the UN-backed force to Haiti on pause while the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate.
The decision followed an announcement by Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry that he had consented to relinquish his position due to the widespread violence.
In a social media post, Ruta said he spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the latest developments and assure Kenya's commitment to the mission.
Read more: US initiates airlifting embassy staff out of crisis-stricken Haiti
"He informed me that a new presidential council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti," he said. "I assured secretary Blinken that Kenya will take leadership... as soon as the presidential council is in place under an agreed process."
Kenya had expressed last July its readiness to deploy up to 1,000 personnel to Haiti, a gesture welcomed by the United States and other countries that have opted against sending their own troops to the region. However, legal obstacles have impeded the planned mission.
In January, Kenya's High Court ruled that the National Security Council, which sanctioned the deployment, only holds the authority to dispatch the military abroad, not police officers. The judge stipulated that Kenya could send police to another country only if a mutual agreement exists.
Read more: Haiti's main port closes as US presses for 'urgent' transition
On March 1, such an agreement was signed in the presence of Kenyan President William Ruto and Haitian Prime Minister Henry.
Nevertheless, an opposition politician who challenged the deployment in the Nairobi High Court has vowed to initiate a fresh legal challenge.
Caribbean leaders have called for an emergency meeting on Monday in Jamaica to address what they describe as Haiti's "dire" situation. They have invited the United States, France, Canada, the UN, and Brazil to attend.
Read more: How the US continues to orchestrate chaos in Haiti: UnHerd
During the meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed another $100 million to back an "international stabilization force," increasing the total pledged by the United States to $300 million since the crisis escalated several years ago. He also proposed an additional $33 million for what he called immediate humanitarian assistance.
The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has been working for months to persuade political actors in Haiti to form a transitional unity government.
With Henry announcing he is stepping down, the goal seems to be getting closer.
