Secretary of State Antony Blinken has ordered the State Department to continue with$ 109 million in financing to assist Kenya’s besieged national authorities in fighting armed groups, despite Republican lawmakers ‘ repeated objections for decades.
Blinken’s determination, which has become known as the “nuclear option”, overrides a Democratic hang on the money, which along with some judge challenges in Nairobi has delayed the project’s implementation. With Blinken’s permission, there is money to purchase products that Kenya’s security evaluation team believes is required prior to the officers ‘ appearance in Port-au-Prince as well as sending a strong message to other countries.
A senior State Department official told the Miami Herald,” The Secretary is likewise indicating to other countries the sincerity and sincerity of our devotion, in part to encourage people to improve their own efforts to the mission,” in line with a top State Department official.
Jamaica and Benin are just two of the six nations that have confirmed to the UN that they will send their own police officers as part of the mission. However, the nations have been slow to provide equipment or to deposit funds into a mission trust fund that is run by the United Nations.
This has left the U. S., which has pledged$ 300 million, shouldering most of the burden. The Defense Department has faced congressional roadblocks after requesting$ 50 million of the$ 100 million pledged, despite having no trouble securing its$ 200 million in funding.
On Capitol Hill, aides to two GOP lawmakers, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, have questioned the plan while their bosses have refused to lift the block on the State Department’s request. The lawmakers also criticized President Joe Biden last month for allowing the Haiti National Police to deploy a$ 60 million military aid package through what is known as the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Despite those efforts, hopes for a deployment last month were thwarted when a Kenyan assessment team visited Port-au-Prince to assess the country’s readiness to receive the mission discovered that there were not enough armored vehicles to maneuver the foreign troops around and that there was a shortage of radio and communication equipment. Additionally, the team made a point about the necessity of helicopters to evacuate injured people.
The State Department official claimed that the$ 109 million will help pay for equipment, and that the government has been able to provide additional vehicles and radios through various sources to address some of the concerns and help the mission expand to its full potential and sustain itself over time. Though the mission is expected to have as many as 2, 500 personnel, police officers will be deployed in phases.
The State Department official said the new funding “is crucial to the success” of the Multinational Security Support mission, or MSS, and the Haiti National Police’s fight against gang violence, without giving specifics.
Since Feb. 29, powerful gangs have led a deadly rampage throughout Port- au- Prince, the country’s capital. They’ve taken over police stations, attacked key government infrastructure and forced more than 100, 000 people to flee their homes. Despite the coordinated attacks that have been raging in the capital for almost three months, an armed gang has massacred 11 people in a rural town north of Port-au-Prince in the Artibonite Valley over the weekend.
According to the State Department,” The people of Haiti cannot wait, and Secretary Blinken made the necessary decision to follow through with our commitment to supporting the MSS mission, the personnel deploying to the mission, and the HNP [ Haiti National Police ] in their efforts to secure the country’s citizens,” the official said. ” Of course, we remain committed to close consultation with Congress”.
The constant delays have raised doubts about the mission’s viability. Though U. S. officials have declined to provide a date, citing security concerns, they insist that deployment will happen soon, based on assurances from the Kenyan government. The government, which now faces a new court challenge over the deployment, has said the litigation should not affect the police officers ‘ arrival.
The United Nations Security Council approved Kenya’s initial offer to lead the multinational security support mission in July of that year.
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