Caribbean News
Kenya holds meetings with Haitian officials during visit
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
Haiti, August 29, 2023 – A 10 member delegation from Kenya, during their visit to Haiti since Sunday August 20th, held talks with the Haitian Government, the High Council of Transition (HCT), senior members of the Haitian National Police (HNP) and members of the diplomatic corps, regarding actions to lead the country back to normalcy.
The first meeting took place on Monday August 21st according to a government statement.
Ambassador Georges Orina, director general, bilateral and political affairs, Ministry Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya and head of the Kenyan delegation, spoke of their purpose during their visit.
“We are here to assess the needs of the National Police of Haiti, better understand the situation and do our best to help the Haitian people,” he said.
Reports express that hopes were put on Kenya’s intervention manifesting as adding more officers to help the severely
However, while this final decision for such action is still pending as the Kenyan government pointed out that its deployment would depend on factors such as a U.N. Security Council resolution, which the United States said it will seek and a minimum threshold of 2,000 officers who are ready to be deployed, in addition to the 1000 Kenya pledged, leaving room for other countries to step in, as highlighted by Miami Herald; Kenya proposed in the meetings, a ‘static protection force’ protecting key government infrastructure such as airports, seaports and main roads, most of which are run by gangs according to a diplomatic source to Miami Herald.
However, this is receiving criticism, saying that it will not help end the violence and will fail.
Prior to their visit, the delegation met with countries and groups in New York that are trying to decide how best to help Haiti amid the rising gang activity claiming lives and disrupting the lives of the citizens.
The delegation has made it clear that Kenya and the countries they met with are cognizant of the seriousness of the situation, the needs of Haiti and the urgent need to stamp out the criminal groups to restore the nation.
Kenya’s visit came to end on Wednesday August 23, 2023.
Following the Kenyan assessment, the plan to send a multinational force to Haiti will pass to a vote at the U.N. Security Council, to which the US pledged its support. However, the date for this remains unannounced.