Belize's army sends officers to Jamaica for long-delayed Haiti mission

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – The Belize Defence Force is sending two senior officers to Jamaica ahead of a deployment to Haiti, the force said on Sunday. The deployment comes as part of its commitment to support a long-delayed security mission to help Haitian police fight powerful gangs.

The deployment could be a sign that other countries will also support the Kenyan police already stationed in the Caribbean state as part of a “multinational support mission” requested by Haiti. The original UN mandate, which was set to last for twelve months, expires in the next few weeks.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Haiti asked for international support in 2022 to fight armed gangs that have taken over most of the capital and are advancing into surrounding areas, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis with mass displacement and rising hunger.

So far, about 400 Kenyan police officers have been deployed, out of at least 2,900 troops pledged by some countries.

The mission suffered setbacks, including delays in the payment of wages and the delivery of key equipment such as fire turrets for armored vehicles supplied by the United States, its main sponsor.

CONTEXT

It was not clear when the full force would be deployed to Haiti, where Kenyan police are expected to take over the mission. Haitian police and the mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Belize itself promised in May to provide the mission with 50 military personnel from the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and the Coast Guard.

Kenyan mission commander Godfrey Otunge predicted the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize would be deployed before the end of this month, Kenyan and Haitian media reported. Together they have pledged 400 troops and Benin at least 1,500.

KEY QUOTE

“The BDF will work with the Jamaican Armed Forces as part of a multinational task force dedicated to supporting Haiti's reconstruction efforts,” the BDF said in a statement on X.

It was said that the officers would go to Jamaica before being deployed to Haiti “to undertake critical operational planning tasks”.

(Reporting by Sarah Morland and Harold Isaac; Editing by Christina Fincher)