The government of The Bahamas shared on Wednesday its dedication to dispatch 150 officers to aid a multi-national effort in Haiti, a commitment welcomed by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as well as a police mission led by Kenya.
This decision comes in response to the escalating violence in Port au Prince, where clashes between armed gangs and police have instigated a humanitarian disaster that has uprooted tens of thousands of individuals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Bahamas, in a recent statement, shared its readiness to deploy personnel to Haiti as part of the multi-national force, conditional on the approval by the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
“We now urge the passing of a UN Security Council Resolution in support of this force,” the statement added.
Haiti’s escalating gang violence
Haiti has been increasingly ravaged by gang conflict since the 2021 murder of President Jovenel Moïse, causing many service providers to shut down.
This has left a mounting number of the country’s 11.45 million inhabitants devoid of access to basic necessities such as healthcare, food, and education.
Kenya’s and Bahamas’ joint support
This past weekend, Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Alfred Mutua, confirmed his nation’s commitment to send a cadre of 1,000 police officers to assist and train the Haitian police, with the aim of restoring peace and protecting strategic infrastructures.
Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, lauded Kenya’s announcement, noting Washington’s eagerness to work in conjunction with Haiti’s allies to expedite this process, including via a UN Security Council Resolution granting permission for a multinational force in Haiti.
Echoing this sentiment, The Bahamas conveyed its anticipation to cooperate with Kenya and other partners in Haiti in the pursuit of peace and stability.
The Bahamian government acknowledged its alignment with the African Union’s diaspora policy and its commitment to Pan Africanism, as expressed by Minister Mutua, calling for solidarity with people of African descent across the globe, including those in the Caribbean.
The Bahamas also expressed its eagerness to collaborate with hemispheric allies, including the United States and Canada.
It further emphasized its ongoing support for the Eminent Persons Group, led by Caricom and featuring former Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie, Dr Kenny Anthony of St Lucia, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica, as well as the Haiti Working Group chaired by the Organization of American States and Trinidad and Tobago.
Seeking solutions to insecurity
Nassau asserted that such regional and Diasporic strategies for tackling the insecurity spawned by gang violence are essential in establishing a safe environment conducive to fostering political consensus and the reinstatement of democratic order.
Last year, Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry issued an urgent plea to the UN, requesting the immediate mobilization of a specialized, sufficiently-sized armed force to quell the rampant gang warfare.
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