US pledges $133m more for Haiti security mission at Jamaica talks

KINGSTON, Jamaica – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on March 11 that the United States would contribute an additional US$100 million (S$133 million) to a United Nations-backed multinational security force intended to help the Haitian police fight gangs and US$33 million in humanitarian aid.

This brings the proposed US contribution to the force to US$300 million.

As at March 11, less than US$11 million had been deposited into the UN’s dedicated trust fund, a spokesperson for the world body said, with no new additions since March 3 when Haiti declared a state of emergency due to the

worsening violence from gangs

seeking to topple the government.

Mr Blinken, on a hastily arranged visit to Kingston,

said this was a “critical moment” for Haiti and that he hoped “progress will be made”.

US officials have been engaged in talks involving Caribbean Community (Caricom) states and members of Haiti’s political parties, private sector, civil society and religious groups aimed at establishing a transitional council that would pave the way to the first elections since 2016.

Haiti declared a state of emergency in early March as clashes damaged communications and led to two prison breaks after

Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier

, a leader of an alliance of armed groups, said they would unite and overthrow Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Mr Henry, who came to power after the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s last president but is stranded outside of the country, was in virtual discussions with Caricom on March 11, a State Department official said.

His political allies were taking part in the in-person talks in Kingston, the official said.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Haitian “stakeholders” had largely agreed that a presidential council should be urgently installed to identify a prime minister, who would establish a government together with the council.

A provisional electoral council should also be established, excluding those who would be involved in future elections, Ms Mottley added at a news conference.

The UN estimates that more than 362,000 people have been internally displaced, half of whom are children, and thousands have been killed in the overall conflict in Haiti, with widespread reports of rape, torture and ransom kidnappings since 2021.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington was looking to expedite the deployment of a multinational security mission, to be led by Kenya, intended to restore security to Haiti.

Countries have been slow to offer support for the multinational force, with some raising doubts over the legitimacy of Mr Henry’s unelected government amid widespread protests.

Many in Haitian communities and abroad are wary of international interventions after previous UN missions left behind a devastating cholera epidemic and sex abuse scandals, for which reparations were never made.

Mr Mike Ballard, intelligence director at security firm Global Guardian, said if gangs completely take control of ports and airports, they would be in charge of humanitarian aid to the country, adding that he did not believe Kenyan forces would effectively police or maintain peace.

“Countries with actual stakes in the region will need to step up and help shore up security,” he said, pointing to the US, neighbouring Dominican Republic and other Caricom members. REUTERS