The Haitian government has accepted Kenya’s proposal, which said it was ready on Saturday to take the lead of a multinational force and to deploy police officers in support of the Haitian security forces for the restoration of a security climate in Haiti. In the population, Nairobi’s announcement is greeted with caution.
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With our correspondent in Port-au-Prince, Marie Andre Belange
A few hours after Kenya’s announcement, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs said he received with great interest the Kenyan proposal which confirms “ the willingness of this brotherly country to provide effective support to the Haitian law enforcement […] and even to consider the possibility of assuming the leadership of a multinational force as soon as the United Nations Security Council has given its approval. “. Jean Victor Généus specified that “ Haiti appreciated at its fair value this manifestation of African solidarity “.
It is “ With pleasure that the country will host, in the coming weeks, the assessment mission that Kenya proposes to send. The objective will be to obtain information to guide the mandate of the multinational force.
Kenya announced on Saturday July 29 that it was ready to lead a multinational force in Haiti and to deploy 1,000 police officers there. to help train and assist Haitian police to restore normalcy to the country and protect strategic facilities “. Haiti had officially called for international assistance since October 2022 to deal with its security problems. The call had been relayed several times by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
Mixed reception from Haitians
The candidate countries for military intervention are not rushing. Port-au-Prince therefore seems to take a positive view of Nairobi’s response to the appeal of the government and Haitian actors. It must be said that the security situation in the capital is hardly improving. The moment of respite observed with the “Bwa Kalé” movement has ended. Gang violence has flared up again, and the fear of kidnapping is more than ever part of the daily life of Haitians. Gangs control about 80% of Port-au-Prince.
In the streets of the capital, Kenya’s proposal is greeted with caution. “ If they can help fight the gangs, let them come. Any country can come, by the way “, thus launches to his neighbor a resident of Port-au-Prince met during the day. “ Kenya already has its problems. I don’t see how he could help us “replies this neighbor. Meanwhile, in the Haitian capital, several cases of kidnappings were reported over the weekend.
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