US Scrambles as Foreign Powers Decline to Support Kenya’s Mission to Haiti
In an attempt to finance the contentious peacekeeping mission in Haiti, led by Kenya, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is set to engage with representatives from 20 nations.
Blinken kicked off the two-day gathering on Wednesday, February 21, in Brazil, where he held talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During their two-hour discussion, the US representative sought support from the Head of State for their mission.
Blinken reiterated the pressing necessity for global support to address the conditions in Haiti.
As per the report by the Miami Herald, the Brazilian president expressed reservations about providing police volunteers for the mission led by Kenya, despite the critical conditions in Haiti, echoing similar sentiments from other South American leaders.
Nevertheless, the leader stated his intention to participate in the high-level conversation scheduled for Thursday, alongside the UN and the US.
Additional representatives are expected to attend the G20 conference titled ‘Addressing the Crisis in Haiti’. Blinken plans to utilize this occasion to urge the Head of State to back the mission and address the humanitarian crisis.
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The United States has committed to financing the mission, yet it also necessitates support from other countries in terms of equipment and additional personnel.
Kenya is notably one of the nations planning to dispatch 2,500 officers, alongside Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda.
Kenya’s proposal to deploy 1,000 police personnel to Haiti has encountered multiple challenges, such as financial constraints and resistance from the judiciary.
In January, the High Court prohibited the government from sending police officers to the Caribbean nation, stating that such deployment was against the constitution.
In defiance of the ruling, President William Ruto pledged to proceed with sending the officers. Nonetheless, he disclosed that Kenya was working with Haiti to formulate a bilateral agreement.
Last Wednesday, representatives from Kenya and Haiti came together in the US for a three-day meeting, during which they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The authorities neglected to reveal the revised deadline for deploying the police officers.
US Scrambles as Foreign Powers Decline to Support Kenya’s Mission to Haiti