In a confidential letter to President Wiiliam Ruto, members of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, wrote asking him to deploy Kenyan police urgently. A series of events have however delayed the deployment. While it had earlier been indicated that the first batch of Kenyan police officers would step foot in Haiti on 23rd may 2024 key logistics, one being Kenya’s delay in submitting the operations report to the UN security council have held back onset of the mission.
On 21st May Deputy Inspector General of police Noor Gabbow led a team of 5 senior security officials from Kenya in determining the status of what would be a week of deployment in Haiti. The officials found A delayed procurement of armored vehicles and helicopters equipped for medical evacuations among factors that have pushed the deployment into now early June.
In the same week Kenya held meetings in port au prince and set out the rules of engagement with the Haitian government. Haiti notified Kenya of the fierce opposition they expect from the Gangs who have taken over the capital city. Kenya will be the leader of the 2,500-member security force expected to begin the Haiti stability mission, no longer referred to as a peace mission. Further delays caused by the fact that the agreement between Haiti Government & the Kenya led mission had not been done in writing & as a prerequisite of the mission submitted to the UN security council.
Kenyan officials in the recce to evaluate the logistics and infrastructure in Haiti, delegation found that indeed Haiti wasn’t prepared for the deployment of the police officers in terms of equipment to accommodate them. Weapons, vehicles and other things had not been equipped further putting more delay on the Mission. However, by the end of this week Key logistical equipment was delivered including radio and communications equipment.
American top security officials declined the mission to start without first the US government procuring and delivering Helicopters which will be critical for evacuations in case of casualties. With Haiti hospitals vandalized by the gangs, the Forces will rely on neighboring countries Hospitals hence why the Helis procurement became a priority.
A Kenyan security official in the know says “Haiti faces a deficit of almost everything we need, so we have to make sure we have everything because when we step foot, there will be no looking back”. Further says, “We have been briefed & know we are not going to very friendly people so we are going to match the force of the gangs as we push them backwards” However, the official declined to disclose key components of how they intend to take over the capital city from gangs & other rural towns citing sensitivity of the operation.
A human rights activist in Haiti, she says Anxiety looms in the Haitian people over the arrival of the Kenya led foreign forces as some see them as a solution to at least getting basic amenities like food & medication. The gangs have destroyed everything.
By the end of this week, Kenya was yet to provide the required paperwork of the mission to the UN security council. By the start of next week, the Kenyan Government will have submitted documentation stating the goal and mode of operation of the MSS. The delay was due to Kenya not outlining key issues like when the mission will end, rules of engagement within forces & the set-out operation framework goals.
The government of El Salvador had offered to provide helicopters but up until this week reports say they still hadn’t done so. The U.S. Defense Department, pledged $200 million while The United States Government has put $300 million in support of the Haiti mission. Despite the anticipated deployment, details can now reveal the momentum of the deployment only picked prior to President Ruto’s state visit to the US.
The US has tried to put its hands away from the mission but its financial and logistics involvement has widely depicted a US led mission however branded a Kenya-led deployment. According to an American report; “In April, Biden authorized a $60 million military aid package using what is called presidential drawdown authority to get rifles and ammunition into the hands of the Haiti National Police, and to allow the Kenya-led force to quickly deploy.”
However there have been concerns from part of the American senate leadership on how the mission sponsored by America is seeking to achieve stability in Haiti. Sources disclose that indeed Biden is locked out from further funding of Haiti mission until it is clear on what the mission intends to achieve.
No nonsense Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch in a senate committee 2 weeks ago told state secretary Anthony Blinken “We can’t use U.S. taxpayers’ dollars to support an open-ended, poorly conceived mission in a country plagued by extreme gang violence and political instability without some kind of assurances that things are going to be different this time.”
On May 15, 2024, supplies offloaded from a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The plane carrying supplies for the camp being built to house Kenyan police officers Multinational Security Support mission into Haiti. Base construction where Kenyan elite police units would camp upon until last week was still incomplete. However, this week progress has been made as now the UNSC pushes for a sooner deployment.
Kenya told the UN council that indeed everything about the mission was already documented awaiting presentation to the council. Despite a push to deploy late in May, the UNSC held the position of first Kenya and other force leaders provided the key details of the mission in writing. A meeting held by the security council wanted rules be put in place for the forces so as to observe human rights and international laws. The UNSC avoided a replica of the previous missions.
A security analyst in Haiti says some gangs within port au prince have backed off their presence in a bid to keep a low profile ahead of the deployment. Further he says there is indeed panic among gangs despite continuous attacks in the capital by defiant groups.
President William on Friday 31st May 2024 received the comprehensive brief from the DIG Noor Gabbow led team that undertook an assessment mission to ascertain the state of preparedness for the deployment. This indicates that indeed Kenya as the lead force in the mission has documented the prerequisite mission details.
Next week will be a key decision-making phase as now the forces prepare for deployment. Sources indicate the US has fastened its facilitation to ensure that everything is in place even though Biden has been facing frustration from part of the senate opposing allocation of further resources to the Mission.
