NAIROBI, Kenya: Kenya has decided to suspend plans to send police to violence-torn Haiti under a UN-backed multinational mission, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The move came after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he had agreed to step aside after armed groups took over large parts of the Caribbean nation.
“There has been a fundamental change in circumstances as a result of the complete breakdown of law and order and the subsequent resignation of the PM of Haiti,” principal secretary for foreign affairs, Korir Sing’oei, told media.
Without a political government, Haiti has no way to support its police presence, and the government will wait for new constitutional authorities to form in Haiti before making further decisions on the matter.
But Sing’oei said Kenya was committed to providing leadership for the MSS, referring to the Multinational Security Support Mission approved by the UN Security Council in October 2023.
Matthew Miller, US State Department spokesman told reporters: “I would be concerned of course about any delay, but we don’t think that there will need to be a delay.”
Haiti’s crisis has turned more violent in recent weeks, with bodies littering the streets, armed robbers looting basic infrastructure and fears of starvation rising.
Kenya has announced it is willing to send up to 1,000 personnel to Haiti, a proposal welcomed by the United States and other countries that have rejected sending troops there.
However, the planned mission faces legal challenges.
Kenya’s Supreme Court ruled in January that the National Security Council, which authorized the deployment, only has the power to send military abroad, not police officers.
The judge said Kenya could send police to a country if there was mutual agreement.
The agreement was signed on March 1 in the presence of Kenyan President William Ruto and Haitian Prime Minister Henry.
But opposition politicians who petitioned the Nairobi High Court against the police deployment have promised a new challenge.
