Caribbean News
Kenya will lead 1,000 Member Team into Haiti, UNSC approves Intervention
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#Haiti, October 4, 2023 – The Multinational force to be led by Kenya to Haiti was on Monday October 2, 2023 approved by the United Nations and now the East African Nation can deliver on its promise to deploy 1,000 police officers to the republic.
Reports say the force will not be under UN rule, according to the resolution which was acquired over the weekend by the Associated Press. Also, it stated that it will be funded by voluntary contributions, ABC reports.
The force will run for 12 months as authorized under the resolution and will undergo a review after nine months within its one year period.
Now that the mission is approved, as reported, the Haitian National Police will receive operational support from the multinational force especially in its underfunded and under-resourced state carrying just about 10,000 officers, not to mention their losing battle against the gangs.
The Special Force will work towards a number of things to help revive Haiti. As stated by the Resolution, it will help build the capacity of the local police “through the planning and conduct of joint security support operations as it works to counter gangs and improve security conditions in Haiti.”
And, it will aid in securing “critical infrastructure sites and transit locations such as the airport, ports, and key intersections,” which would be crucial move as the gangs have taken control of key roads leading from Haiti’s capital to the country’s northern and southern regions, disrupting the transportation of food and other goods.
As previously pointed out in reports, Kenya will not be left alone in their endeavor as it will be backed by other nations that have pledged to support Haiti such as Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas and even non Caribbean nations such as Italy as well as the United States which committed about $200 million in support, including logistics and equipment will participate in the stabilization of the embattled Republic.
Of the Security Council, 13 of the 15 members voted for the mission; China and Russia abstained.
Jean Victor Geneus, Haitian Foreign Minister spoke about the voting as reported by Voanews saying, “The vote on this text represents significant progress towards resolving the multidimensional crisis that Haiti is going through,” adding that it’s a glimmer of hope for the people that have for too long been suffering the consequences of a difficult political, socioeconomic, security and humanitarian situation.
On behalf of Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, representative, UN representative in Haiti, had open arms welcoming the approval of the mission, expressing that it’s “positive and decisive step to bring peace and stability to the country,” further pointing out that it's not under the UN saying, “It is important to emphasize that, unlike recent international missions deployed in Haiti, the MSS mission is not a U.N. mission.”
This brings to attention the fact that Haiti has had issues in the past with UN peacekeepers deployed in the country.
For instance, in 2004, when the UN approved a stabilization mission which was vitiated by a sexual abuse scandal and the introduction of cholera.
Considering this, there has been concern regarding Kenya’s promise to lead the security force to the nation especially since critics say Kenya's police have long been accused of using torture, deadly force and other abuses.
But the Resolution aims to keep the deployment in check, explicitly stating every effort to repeat any offence against Haiti must be thwarted and if suspected, the necessary action must be taken in order to ensure sexual exploitation and abuses are absent from the intervention. This includes better scrutiny, the Resolution demands that participating personnel be thoroughly vetted.
The UN Security Council endorsed agreement also demands swift investigations of any allegations of misconduct.
The resolution warns that those involved in the mission must adopt wastewater management and other environmental controls in order to prevent the introduction and spread of water-borne diseases.
Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.
At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.
The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.
Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment.
With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.
Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.
CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”
For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.
For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.
