The United States acknowledges the decision of the High Court of the Republic of Kenya to block the government’s deployment of police officers to Haiti, and welcomes “the Kenyan government’s stated intention to challenge this decision”, according to a statement from the US State Department published on its website on Saturday.
The Joe Biden administration stresses the urgent need for the international community to intervene in the face of unprecedented violence by gangs and destabilizing forces in Haiti. “It is urgent that the international community respond to the unprecedented levels of violence by gangs and destabilizing forces attacking the Haitian people,” says the State Department statement.
The Nairobi High Court had previously ruled on January 26 that the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was “unconstitutional and illegal”, arguing that only military personnel can be sent out of the country to take part in foreign operations. She stressed that Kenyan police officers could only be deployed abroad under a reciprocal agreement with the host country.
Reaffirming its call for the deployment of a multinational security support mission in Haiti, the United States reiterates its “unwavering” commitment to the Haitian people. It also urges the international community to lend its support to the multinational mission as a matter of urgency.
The Kenyan High Court’s decision to block the deployment of the police is a setback for the Haitian government, which had staked much on the arrival of the Kenyan police.
At a special security council meeting on Haiti on January 25, 2024, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs had stressed the importance of rapid deployment of the mission to combat armed bandits.
However, Ariel Henry’s government and the Haitian political players are finding it difficult to reach a consensus to resolve the crisis.
In its statement issued late on Saturday, the State Department calls on Haitian actors to unite to “reach a consensus on power sharing and inclusive governance”, stressing that “the only legitimate path to long-term peace and stability is through free and fair elections.”
