Highlights: Kenya suspends its police mission in Haiti after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Kenya was preparing to send 1,000 men to the country to lead a multinational mission to support local police in dealing with gangs. The United States immediately reacted on Tuesday to the announcement of the pause in the dispatch of Kenyan police officers, indicating that it saw no reason to delay the mission. The U.S. is ready to put millions of dollars on the table to install, equip and train the much-hoped-for multinational force.

Following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was put on hold. Kenya was preparing to send 1,000 men into the country to take…

Kenya suspends its police mission in Haiti after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry

Following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was put on hold.

Kenya was preparing to send 1,000 men to the country to lead a multinational mission to support local police in dealing with gangs.

A police officer in Port-au-Prince, August 5, 2023. © Odelyn Joseph / AP

By: RFI Follow

“

Without political administration in

Haiti
, there is no anchor point on which a police deployment can rest.
The (Kenyan) government will therefore wait for the installation of a new constitutional authority in Haiti before making further decisions on the issue

,” a senior official from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP.

However, preparations were in full swing, reports our correspondent,

Albane Thirouard

On Monday, the Kenyan Interior Minister said his police officers were ready.

About ten days ago, the signing of an agreement between Nairobi and Port-au-Prince was described as “the

last step before deployment

” by the two countries.

The now former Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, came to Nairobi to sign it.

At the end of February, five countries, including

Benin

with more than 1,500 men, had even notified the

of their participation in the future mission.

The other members of this mission are the

Bahamas

, Bangladesh,

Barbados

and

Chad

, said the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric.

Read alsoKenya: the deployment of police officers in Haiti can be done “as early as next week”, according to Ruto

The United States remains confident

The

United States

immediately reacted on Tuesday to the announcement of the pause in the dispatch of Kenyan police officers, indicating that it saw no reason to delay the mission.

“

I would of course be concerned about any delay, but we don't think a delay is necessary

,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

For Washington, “

it is completely natural

” that Kenya “

wants to know that there is a government that can welcome them and that can ask them to deploy a mission

,” added Mr. Miller.

Following the resignation of Ariel Henry, a transition council should be formed in the near future and a Prime Minister will be appointed immediately.

According to the State Department, “

this would pave the way for continuing this mission without delay

.”

Furthermore, a senior official of the American administration emphasizes that the Kenyan commitment was made and validated with the legitimate Haitian authorities at that time.

There is therefore no reason for the agreement to be called into question under the authority of his successor, reports our office in Washington.

The same official underlines the commitment of his country for the mission discussed for months to materialize.

The United States is ready to put millions of dollars on the table to install, equip and train the much-hoped-for multinational force.

Kenya suspends its police mission in Haiti after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry

Kenya suspends its police mission in Haiti after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry

The United States remains confident

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