Kenya will not be the only country taking part in the mission to assess the security situation in Haiti.
The United States will also be taking part in this mission, which is due to arrive in Haiti shortly.
This was announced by the State Department’s deputy spokesman at a press conference on Monday.
Asked to comment on the United Nations’ slow progress in deploying a multinational force to Haiti, Vedant Patel said: “The State Department and its interagency partners will support and participate in Kenya’s upcoming technical assessment trip to Haiti, as well as consultations in New York and Washington in the coming weeks.”
The spokesman was again unable to specify the date of the mission’s arrival “for reasons of operational security and other concerns”, he said, adding that: “we will be deeply engaged in this process.”
Mr. Patel took the opportunity to point out that the United States is in active discussions with other countries to “contribute funding, equipment, training and personnel to this effort.”
Barring any last-minute changes, the United Nations High Council will present its report on the security situation in Haiti. During this session, the United States will take the opportunity to formally introduce the resolution proposing that Kenya take command of the next international mission in Haiti.
The deputy spokesman was also unable to give details of this resolution.
Asked by a journalist when the assessment mission would arrive in Haiti, the deputy spokesman categorically refused to elaborate. I’m not going to give a timetable,” he said dryly. However, he said he hoped “that after the conclusion of this trip, another important step will be taken.”
Several weeks ago, the State Department had revealed that Kenya wanted to take the lead in the international force expected to be dispatched to Haiti this year. It had also revealed that several other countries, including the Dominican Republic, Chile, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas, among others, wished to participate in this mission, which will cost between 200 and 400 million US dollars a year, according to the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Todd Robinson, in an exclusive interview with the Miami Herald newspaper.
Meanwhile, the situation continues to deteriorate in Haiti, where armed bandits reign with impunity.
According to the latest UN report on Haiti, more innocent civilians died in armed violence in Haiti than in all the countries in conflict around the world, including Ukraine, during the first quarter of 2023.