Haitian PM Resigns, Questions Loom Over Kenyan-Led UN Mission


On Tuesday Feb 12, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, eventually bowing down to internal and international pressure that seeks to save the country overwhelmed by violent gangs that a faction of experts says have unleashed a low-scale civil war. 

Henry made the announcement hours after officials including Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Jamaica to urgently discuss a solution to halt Haiti's deepening crisis. The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), meeting in Jamaica on Monday said it had agreed to set up a transitional council to lay the foundations for elections in Haiti. 

"The government that I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of (a transitional) council," Henry said on Tuesday. "I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I had been granted."

"I'm asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible," he went on.


Gang leader Barbecue


Henry said that his government would leave power once a transitional council has been instituted, adding, "Haiti needs peace. Haiti needs stability." 

Henry's advisor, Jean Junior Joseph, informed an international media outlet that Henry will stay in his position until the establishment of a new temporary government.

"We are pleased to announce the commitment to transitional governance arrangement which paves the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance and action plan for near-term security and the road to free and fair elections. It further seeks to assure that Haiti will be governed by the rule of law," Guyana leader, Irfaan Ali who is also CARICOM Chairman said in a news conference alongside other Carribean leaders. 

When the worst of the violence erupted last week, Henry was in Kenya finalizing an agreement to deploy 1,000 Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean country to address the security crisis that his government has struggled to manage.

Henry was however unable to re-enter Haiti due to the closure of its primary international airports amidst the violence. A week ago, he arrived in Puerto Rico after being denied entry to the Dominican Republic, where officials cited his lack of a necessary flight plan. Additionally, Dominican authorities restricted airspace access for flights to and from Haiti. He has been in the US territory of Puerto Rico since last week. 


What does that mean for Kenya's Haiti mission? What next?

A senior Kenyan official stated on Tuesday that Kenya has chosen to halt the dispatch of 1,000 police officers for leading an international security mission in Haiti, in response to Prime Minister Ariel Henry's announcement of his intention to resign.

Korir Sing’oei, the Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs, remarked that Henry's resignation has changed the circumstances on the field, leaving no established government to collaborate with the mission at the moment. 

Consequently, the deployment dates for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti, approved by the UN Security Council in October last year, will be delayed even further. Nairobi asserts the necessity of having a recognized authority in Haiti to effectively coordinate the operations of the Mission.

"(Whether we deploy) is contingent on the ground situation, and the critical ground situation is that there has to be an authority that can be the basis for a police deployment, that enjoys constitutional authority in Haiti," Sing'oei said. 


Ariel Henry with Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi last week when he visited for signing of the Bilateral deal with Kenya


"Without a political administration in Haiti, there is no anchor on which a police deployment can rest, hence Government (of Kenya) will await the installation of a new constitutional authority in Haiti, before taking further decisions on the matter. Kenya reiterates commitment to providing leadership to the MSS."

Reacting to the announcement from Nairobi, U.S. State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller told reporters: "We would be concerned of course about any delay (in the deployment) but we don't think that there will be need to be delay."

"If you look at what the Kenyan government said in its statement is that they have to have a government with which to collaborate, which has been an important part of their understanding. It is a perfectly natural thing to expect," he added.

 After assuming power in 2021 due to the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Henry failed to organize elections on two occasions. As a result of these delays, gangs have seized control of the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince.

This week, the United States, Canada, and France evacuated their non-essential personnel from Haiti and cautioned all their citizens against traveling there due to security issues.

In the meantime, Kenya had announced on Monday its readiness to send police to Haiti and stated that it was in the process of finalizing the operational protocols for the departure of the 1,000 officers. 

As per a resolution from the UN Security Council approved in October last year, the mission stands out from other UN peacekeeping endeavors as it constitutes a policing mission deployment "on the understanding that the cost of implementing this temporary operation will be borne by voluntary contributions and support from individual member states and regional organizations."

The mission is mandated to operate closely with the local government. All troop-contributing nations must collaborate in formulating specific procedures, which must then be approved by the Haitian government.

President Ruto inspects a National Police Service pass-out parade at the National Police College in Embakasi, Nairobi.

Moreover, the mission must fully respect Haiti's sovereignty and adhere strictly to international law, including applicable international human rights laws.

The government of Haiti is also obligated to fulfill its responsibilities, which include fully cooperating with the mission by ensuring the security and freedom of movement necessary for the Multinational Security Support mission to carry out its mandate.




Subscribe to Follow our Open Forum Political Talk Show Here: Sound Candid Talk - Youtube

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mwaura: DCI is Investigating Allegations Regarding Counterfeit Fertilizer

Image
The government is looking into allegations of counterfeit fertilizer following public outcry, as stated by Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura. Mwaura mentioned that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has initiated an investigation into the purported counterfeit fertilizer. "I want to assure you that those found culpable of supplying not only the fertilizer but also any other form of fake farm inputs shall be apprehended and prosecuted," Mwaura said. He mentioned that the government's decision to provide subsidized fertilizer assists in protecting small-scale farmers from fluctuations in fertilizer prices. The government representative stated that the fertilizer identified as counterfeit is a commercially sold product under an agency agreement outside the NCPB system. "The product is not part of the GOK subsidized fertilizer availed to registered farmers," he said.  He mentioned that every fertilizer distributed through the Government Subsidized Program...
Read more

Enter Gen Z: Youthful Activists Flood Streets in Mass Protest Against 'Punitive' Tax Bill

Image
Picture Story... In a wave of youthful activism, swarms of Kenyan youth marched peacefully against the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, employing a blend of traditional and modern protest tactics including singing, dancing, tweeting, vlogging, and TikToking.  An AI depiction of the movement. This movement, marked by a carnival-like atmosphere and extensive use of technology, was a stark contrast to past demonstrations. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, demonstrators faced teargas as 204 government-allied MPs voted to advance the bill to its second reading for further discussion. In opposition, 115 MPs voted against the bill and pledged to continue their fight. The protestors, part of a burgeoning movement, demanded a fairer fiscal system to address the hardships faced by ordinary Kenyans. Protesters in cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret used songs and social media hashtags like #OccupyEldoret to mobilize, carrying placards with messages like 'Zakayo mu...
Read more

Reason Why Maraga Team Want Separation of APs and Kenya Police at Senior Level

Image
Retired Chief Justice David Maraga handing over the report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms to the president on November 16, 2023, at Statehouse, Nairobi. Some time at the beginning of the Kenya Kwanza administration in late 2022, President William Ruto established the National Taskforce on Police and Prisons Reforms chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.  Last year Maraga presented the report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms at Statehouse Nairobi. The team sought reforms aimed at addressing major challenges bedeviling the police service. The reforms await implementation.  If implemented, there may soon be alterations in the responsibilities carried out by police officers, potentially impacting your safety after the team proposed separating the Kenya Police and Administration Police services in a massive restructuring operation. Prior to the enactment of the 2010 Constitution, the Administration Police primarily focused on administrative and protec...
Read more