Haiti mission commander calls for speedy deployment of other countries' forces

The Commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, Senior Assistant Inspector General Godfrey Otunge has called on countries set to deploy their forces to the mission to do so before the pre-deployment period ends in about a month.

He also expressed a desire for the Bahamas to expedite its deployment, although he did not provide specific timelines for the expected arrival of the forces.

"Otunge called upon the other contributing countries to deploy their officers for the mission to have a multinational face, and they remain steadfast in supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP), which is in dire need of more resources and weapons as they engage the criminal gangs," a statement from the mission on Saturday read.

The senior officer made this call while meeting a delegation from the Bahamas' Ministry of Foreign Affairs and defence forces that toured the Kenyan base in Port au Prince before engaging in a closed-door meeting with the mission's leaders.

During the meeting, Captain Fredrick Brown, the MSSM Lead and incoming Defence Attaché who was involved in the draughting of the mission's Concept of Operations, indicated that the Bahamian government is seeking to conclude bilateral agreements with the Haitian government to provide a "strong" legal foundation for their deployment.

Meanwhile, the country has reopened its embassy in Haiti and is working on resuming direct flights between Port-au-Prince and Nassau.

As the lead force in the mission, Kenya deployed in July to prepare grounds and the base for the other countries' deployment before the actual mission kicks off in September.

The Kenyan Commander of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, Godfrey Otunge, speaks with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, during a tour of the MSS base near the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 22, 2024. (Photo: Roberto Schmidt/Pool via REUTERS)

Otunga shared the challenges he had encountered and prayed that the USA would deliver equipment and more vehicles on time as other contributing countries deployed during the three-month deployment period that is ending in September.

His call for the deployment of additional forces comes days after he revealed that his team requires helicopters, essential equipment, and vehicles to perform its tasks effectively.

The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, and Chad have formally notified the United Nations of their intent to contribute personnel to the international force to help Haitian national police fight armed gangs, as confirmed by a UN spokesperson earlier this year.

Kenya deployed its first batch of 200 officers on June 25. The team began by monitoring and patrolling Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, as well as protecting critical infrastructure such as airports.

Three weeks later, the second batch was deployed and has since been collaborating with the local police to recapture some of the critical infrastructure while extending its patrol areas.

We expect the mission's full deployment to initiate kinetic operations against the armed gangs terrorising the Caribbean nation.

Kenya had pledged to deploy 1000 officers to the mission, but so far, it has sent 400, who have been involved in patrols, protection of critical infrastructure, and pre-deployment operations in the capital.