In an unforeseen turn of events, Kenyan President William Ruto confirmed on Wednesday that Kenya would be heading the UN Security Support Mission in Haiti as stated earlier in March. This confirmation arrives just a day after Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Abraham Korir Sing’Oei had told the BBC that Kenya was reconsidering its pledge to deploy 1,000 troops to direct the UN mission following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry (available here and here).
On Tuesday, Sing’Oei broke to BBC News that Kenya would be halting the planned deployment in the wake of Henry’s exit. As per Sing’Oei, Kenya planned to postpone decisions about the deployment until a new constitutional authority was appointed in Haiti.
However, on Wednesday, President Ruto seemed to override Sing’Oei’s statement, writing, “Had a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the developments in Haiti. (Secretary Blinken) briefed me on the decision of the Summit of Caribbean Countries (Caricom) and the US, together with other partners, on the political situation in Haiti. He informed me a new Presidential Council will soon step in to manage the situation in Haiti. I ensured Secretary Blinken that Kenya will take charge of the UN Security Support Mission in Haiti to restore peace and security as soon as the Presidential Council is in position under an accepted process” (information about the decision here).
In response to the confusion regarding Kenya’s troop commitment, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, stated during a press conference on Tuesday, “We would be concerned, of course, about any delay, but we don’t think there will need to be a delay.”
Haiti has been stricken with growing unrest due to organized gang violence and the recent assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 (information here). Gangs have managed to control large sections of the nation, including vast parts of the capital, and violence has escalated in the past few weeks after armed gangs stormed a major prison and freed 3,700 prisoners (information here). To top it all, the Haitian government extended a state of emergency around Port-Au-Prince, imposing a curfew and banning all forms of public protest.
This story will undoubtedly keep developing but for more detail please visit the original article.