US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman has revealed the strategy that President Joe Biden’s government has put in place ahead of planned deployment of Kenya’s police officers to Haiti.
Whitman while speaking in Nyeri on Tuesday, March 26 announced that the US Department of State will establish a camp in Haiti for Kenyan security forces ahead of their deployment.
The Ambassador, acknowledged that the mission is a complicated one, noting that it will need the police to be retrained and vetted.
“This is a very complicated mission it is not a UN peace keeping mission. It is a different kind of mission so the police need to be trained, vetted and the department of defense needs to set up a camp in Haiti where the police force will go,” she stated.
Addressing the question of when the officers are expected to land in the Caribbean nation, the US envoy said that it could take some time.
She attributed this to the change of government in Haiti following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, that has complicated matters.
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In addition, Whitman said that various teams have also been sent on the ground to assess the situation following the escalation of gang violence, before any deployment could be made.
She further echoed President William Ruto’s earlier announcement that Kenya would be sending a reconnaissance team to assess the situation before the troops leave for the country.
Haiti mission strategy
The head of state through a statement on March 14, 2024, declared that Kenya would be changing its strategy and in turn send a reconnaissance mission before police are deployed.
He made the announcement after having conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Haitian Prime Minister Henry.
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The US Ambassador further thanked Ruto for offering to step forward to help Haiti.
“I want to thank the President Ruto for offering to step forward to help Haiti and stating that Kenya has the opportunity to help a country that has her brothers and sisters living outside there. He said that Haitians are part of Africans living in different parts of the world,” she said.
Her remarks came after the US government clarified that the country would not be deploying its troops to fight alongside Kenyan police officers in Haiti.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby while speaking during a press briefing on his country’s involvement in the mission affirmed that the US would only provide Kenya with external support in the mission.
“We’re working with Kenya on a Kenyan-led multinational security support mission, which would not include U.S. troops on the ground as part of that mission,” said Kirby.
Kenya is expected to deploy 1,000 police officers to restore civil order in the troubled country after being requested to do so following the authorization by the United Nations Security Council to have a multinational security support mission in the country.
The mission has however received widespread criticism, leaving so many unanswered questions.
Ruto is under pressure to come clean on the deal, and why the government is hellbent to send its officers to the war-torn country.