In a first, Kenya and Haiti established diplomatic relations, according to an agreement signed Wednesday September 20 in New York, in the presence of Kenyan President William Ruto and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The move comes as Kenya volunteered to send men to Haiti as part of a non-UN multinational force to help Haitian police deal with armed gang violence.
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According to a joint statement published on Wednesday, the two States accept “ to exchange ambassadors “, and the Kenyan presidency explained that the agreement signed ” will facilitate their cooperation “.
Because since July, Nairobi volunteered to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti : Kenya is the only country to have responded to the call of the Secretary General of the United Nations to take the leada non-UN force in the country. Others, like the Dominican Republic neighboring Haitiexpressed their support, but without further details.
This initiative earned William Ruto praise from his American counterpart Joe Biden during the opening ceremony of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday September 19.
According to the Kenyan presidency, William Ruto “ recommends a comprehensive approach, which takes into account questions of politics, security and development to truly remedy the situation in Haiti “.
THE Kenyan deployment nevertheless depends on a resolution from the UN Security Council: this vote could take place within a week, according to Brian Nichols, US Assistant Secretary of State for Americas Affairs.
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