The West African country of Benin has pledged to deploy 2,000 troops to Haiti as part of the Multinational Mission to help the country fight armed gangs, which continue to gain ground and terrorize the Haitian population. This was announced on Monday by the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, while attending the CARICOM Leaders’ Summit in Georgetown, Guyana, February 24-28, 2024.
Although Kenya has offered to lead this force by sending 1,000 police officers, this deployment is currently blocked by the Kenyan judiciary. Several other countries, including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Burundi, Chad and Senegal, have also pledged to contribute personnel to the Multinational Mission for Security in Haiti (MMSS).
“We learned just before the start of my trip that Benin, another African country, has offered up to 2,000 soldiers to support this force. Other Caribbean countries have also volunteered to send troops to provide training or other support to the multinational force,” said Thomas-Greenfield at a press conference in Georgetown on Monday.
The diplomat praised Jamaica’s key role in mobilizing contributions from CARICOM countries. Military personnel are currently training in Jamaica in preparation for deployment to Haiti.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield also indicated that Guyana had pledged additional funds, although she was unable to disclose the amount.
Asked about US support for the multinational security support mission in Haiti, Ambassador Greenfield said her country had pledged to back the force by providing what it needed to deploy on the ground, as well as much of the logistical support required.
“What we’ve heard – and I think you’ve heard too – is that Haiti doesn’t need an occupying force. That’s why we think it’s so important for the region and African countries to get involved. We have pledged $200 million to support this process. We have pledged to provide logistics, equipment and support to the multinational force,” she stressed.
On the sidelines of the CARICOM leaders’ summit, the US ambassador to the UN also met with Haiti’s de facto Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. Discussions focused on the needs of the Haitian people.
“The Haitian people need security. They need to lead a normal life – go to school, go to church. What I’ve heard over the last two and a half days is that women are afraid to leave their homes to go to church or buy food for their families. So safety is at the forefront of their minds. We discussed how to address these issues, while also discussing how to move the political process forward more urgently, so that, alongside security, there is a political process leading to free and fair elections and the restoration of democracy in Haiti,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
The US ambassador stressed the importance of finding an agreement between the government and the opposition to organize elections and restore stability in Haiti.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the objectives of her trip to the CARICOM summit in Georgetown, including strengthening the partnership with Guyana, promoting regional cooperation and supporting the resolution of the crisis in Haiti.