(Le Floridien) — “The United States’ commitment to the Haitian people remains unwavering,” stated US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement published on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
“We reaffirm our support for the ongoing international efforts aimed at deploying a multinational security support mission to Haiti […] and renew our calls to the international community to urgently provide support for this mission,” he added.
According to a report on Tuesday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, gang violence in Haiti has resulted in nearly 5,000 deaths, including over 2,700 civilians, in 2023.
Faced with increasing pressure from the government of the Caribbean state and the UN, Kenya has agreed to lead this multinational force, with hopes for deployment “during the first quarter of 2024,” as mentioned by the UN deputy special representative in Haiti.
The UN granted approval to this force in October, a decision also endorsed by the United States.
Nairobi had previously expressed readiness to dispatch up to 1,000 police officers to Haiti in this context. However, on Friday, the Nairobi High Court halted this governmental decision, deeming it unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid.”
The Kenyan government has declared its intent to “immediately challenge” the court’s verdict.
“There is an urgent need for the international community to address the unprecedented levels of violence from gangs and destabilizing forces targeting the Haitian people,” stated Miller.
The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 plunged Haiti further into chaos, exacerbating existing issues of gang violence. Currently, these gangs control 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the incidence of serious crimes has reached record levels, according to the UN representative in the country.
