The Canadian government has joined the United States of America (USA) in giving financial aid to Kenya in bid to transport police to the wartorn Haiti.
This was after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, March 13 discussed with President William Ruto the escalating chaos in Haiti following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
During the meeting, the two leaders noted that multinational support was needed to end the chaos in the war-torn country.
The two leaders lauded the political agreement struck between the coalition of Caribbean nations and other stakeholders including Western governments.
To help deal with the escalating chaos and gang takeover in the Caribbean nation, Trudeau promised that Canada would support the Kenya-led mission with Ksh8.2 billion ($80.5 million).
“Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted that Canada will contribute $80.5 million to the MSS mission and noted Canada’s ongoing efforts to support Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members as they prepare to participate in the mission,” read part of the statement issued by the Prime Minister.
Besides the financial support, the Prime Minister noted that it was key for other international partners to provide much-needed support, especially by deploying officers to quell the chaos and protect the Haitian people.
The funding came barely after three days when the US offered an extra Sh14 billion to the Kenyan government which has vowed to take the police officers to the gang’s paradise.
The development comes a day after Pesident William Ruto assured the US government that Kenya is still determined to deploy police to restore peace in the gang’s paradise Haiti after the establishment of the Presidential Council.
Kenya’s Head of State in his X account yesterday said he had a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the developments in Haiti.
“He informed me that a new Presidential Council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti. I assured Secretary Blinken that Kenya will take leadership of the UN Security Support Mission in Haiti to restore peace and security in Haiti as soon as the Presidential Council is in place under an agreed process,” Ruto wrote.
The decision by the Summit of Caribbean Countries (Caricom) to form a Presidential council followed after the resignation of Ariel Henry as the Prime Minister of Haiti which complicated Kenya’s move to deploy security to the country.
Henrey resigned while he was in Puerto Rico after failing to make a return to Haiti with armed gangs, making his return an impossible mission. Prior to his resignation, he had visited Kenya on March 1 in bid to convince the country to deploy the police in his country.
This is the second time in a week that President Ruto is having a phone conversation with Blinken after US State Department announced on March 9 that the two talked about the ‘ongoing political and security crisis in Haiti’.
“They underscored unwavering commitment to the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to support the Haitian National Police in creating the security conditions necessary to conduct free and fair elections,” the US State Department announced.
Blinken also appreciated Kenya’s efforts to ensure there is peace and sanity in the East African region.
“Secretary Blinken also offered his appreciation for Kenya’s diplomatic work to support peace and security in the Horn of Africa.