Bahamas commits to sending 150 officers to Haiti if UN passes resolution

THE Bahamas is committed to sending 150 officers to Haiti as part of a multi-national force to curb the violence in that country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement this week.

The commitment marks an evolution in the Davis administration’s public stance on the matter. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis previously said leaders hoped “boots on the ground will not be necessary” in Haiti.

Privately, officials acknowledged that a multi-national force in Haiti is far from certain and faces a significant barrier: Russia and China, with their veto powers, may not support a UN Security Council resolution establishing the force. The resolution is the condition for The Bahamas’ involvement.

“We now urge the passing of a UN Security Council Resolution in support of this force,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

Asked who would comprise the group of people sent to Haiti, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said defence force officers “mainly”.

“The Royal Bahamas Defence Force prepares for all eventualities,” RBDF Commodore Raymond King said yesterday.

“I was made aware of the article from a Kenyan news source today. However, I have not been advised from the government on that matter as purported.”

The Bahamas’ commitment comes after Kenya said it would send 1,000 police officers to lead a multi-national force in Haiti.

Kenya said it would launch an assessment mission in Haiti in the coming weeks and, through the support of a UNSC resolution, send officers to help train and assist Haiti’s police “to restore normalcy

RBDF officers pictured earlier this year in the country and protect strategic installations”.

After Kenya’s announcement, the United States said it would soon introduce a resolution to the UNSC authorising a multi-national force to Haiti. The US recently announced the withdrawal of nonemergency personnel from its embassy in Port-au-Prince and has urged US residents to leave that country.

For months, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for a “specialised armed force” from other countries to curb the crisis in his country. According to the US State Department, the chaos there is worsening, with high reports of kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and poor health care infrastructure.

“The Bahamas looks forward to working with Kenya and other partners in Haiti to assist in efforts to bring about peace and stability,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. “We appreciate that this is, as the Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua stated, a decision to ‘stand with persons of African descent across the world, including in the Caribbean, and aligns with the African Union’s diaspora policy and our own commitment to Pan Africanism’. We also look forward to cooperating with hemispheric partners, including the United States and Canada.”

“The Bahamas will continue to support the CARICOM-led Eminent Persons Group, which includes former Prime Ministers Perry Christie, Dr Kenny Anthony of St Lucia, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and the Organisation of American States’ Haiti Working Group chaired by Trinidad and Tobago. These regional and Diasporic approaches to addressing insecurity caused by gang violence are critical to creating a safe space to foster political consensus and to restore democratic order.”

Between 1994 and 1996, 141 defence force officers conducted security operations in Haiti as part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation. (Tribune242)