KENYA TO SEND A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION TO HAITI BEFORE POLICE ENTRY
A large prison in Port-au-Prince was overrun by armed gangs earlier this month, resulting in the liberation of about 4,000 prisoners and the death of at least 12 others. As a result, Haiti announced a state of emergency.
Once a stable government is in place, President William Ruto says Kenya would send a reconnaissance team to Haiti.
The head of state said this over the phone with Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, and Ariel Henry, the recently resigned prime minister.
He said, "We plan to send out a reconnaissance mission as soon as a viable administration is in place, making sure that our security personnel are suitably informed and prepared to respond to the developing situation."
He gave them more assurances about Kenya's steadfast commitment to aiding Haiti.
He reassured them, saying, "We will continue to be actively involved and we will not desert Haiti in its hour of need."
A large prison in Port-au-Prince was overrun by armed gangs earlier this month, resulting in the liberation of about 4,000 prisoners and the death of at least 12 others. As a result, Haiti announced a state of emergency.
Henry was on his way to Nairobi to talk about deploying a multinational security force commanded by Kenyans to Haiti when this announcement was made.
Henry's resignation was announced on Tuesday by Irfaan Ali, the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and a Guyanese national.
"We accept his resignation following the appointment of an interim prime minister and the formation of the transitional presidential council," he declared.
Henry made a reciprocal arrangement with President Ruto during his visit to Kenya, wherein the latter committed to sending 1,000 police officers to Haiti, a country primarily ruled by gangs.
Kenya's commitment to moving on with the deployment of the 1,000 police officers was reaffirmed by PS Sing'oei after the conflict-ridden country of Haiti established a transitional government.
According to him, "the government will wait to take further action on the matter until a new constitutional authority is installed in Haiti." He explained that without a political administration, there is no stable base upon which to deploy police.
This comes as several Kenyan citizens have been criticizing the government for sending troops to combat well-known gangs in Haiti.
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