Pax Africana

With regional powers unable to lead, Kenya steps into the breach in Haiti

The announcement on 29 July came on Twitter via Kenya's Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Mutua.

“At the request of the Friends of Haiti Group,” it read. “Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a multinational force to Haiti. Kenya's commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers.”

A few days later, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who has been notably active in the discourse around Haiti’s multifaceted political and security crisis, confirmed that his country would be sending troops along to contribute to any peacekeeping mission, though it did not have the resources to lead one itself. The government of the Bahamas has publicly committed 150 personnel to support the force. The government of Trinidad and Tobago released a statement saying that “whilst unable to provide boots on the ground in Haiti at this time, [the government] wishes to reiterate its willingness to contribute material resources and support to regional and international efforts to address the situation in Haiti.” On 4 August, the intergovernmental Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which Haiti is the most populous member, announced that it “welcomes the decision taken by the Governments of The Bahamas and Jamaica to join Kenya to contribute to a multi-national force in the Republic of Haiti to assist that nation to counter its security challenges.”