The administration of US President Joe Biden has rejected attempts to send US soldiers to Haiti as part of the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission.
According to a US national security official who talked with the American outlet McClatchy on Monday, March 4, the US is quickly coordinating all available supplies, including from other countries, to help the Caribbean island.
At the same time, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby stressed that the administration was trying to speed up the deployment of Kenyan police officers after Haiti's declaration of a state of emergency.
"Starting with the weekend, senior US government officials maintained frequent communication with prominent Haitian government officials and members of the international community to help stabilise the humanitarian crisis and to progress expeditiously towards a sustainable political fluid," said Kirby.
In an effort to provide Haiti with urgent aid, he stressed that the United States was coordinating with other countries.
Notwithstanding pleas from Haitian authorities, who claimed that the entry of Kenyan troops had been postponed, causing even greater anarchy, the US government decided not to commit troops to the Caribbean country. Haitian leaders urgently requested U.S. special troops.
In a conversation that lasted 72 hours, Haitian diplomats voiced similar concerns to their US counterparts.
The United States is one of many countries that has called for 1,000 Kenyan police officers to be sent to Haiti to help put an end to the rampant violence there.
The mission had already received a commitment of Ksh28.7 billion (USD200 million) from the Biden administration. Nevertheless, Republican legislators in Congress were opposed to this distribution.
As for the war-torn country, Kenya is one of four countries planning to send officers there. Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and the Bahamas are among these nations. Benin committed to providing 2,000 soldiers for the operation last week.
But in January, the High Court ruled that Kenya's deployment was unlawful and banned it.
Regardless, after discussions with Haitian authorities, President William Ruto promised to send the police. An agreement to deploy the police personnel was reached on Friday, March 1, between Ruto and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
"We have contributed the hands-on experience and professionalism of our police officers in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti as authorised by the United Nations Security Council and as regulated by our courts," said Ruto.
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