Jamaica Gleaner – Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday confirmed a Gleaner report that Jamaica is preparing to send soldiers to Haiti amid ongoing unrest as the CARICOM country struggles with a political, social and humanitarian crisis.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has indicated that his government may send troops to Haiti amid ongoing turmoil in the French-speaking nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Browne, who was responding to a Gleaner query on Thursday about whether the eastern Caribbean island would be putting boots on the ground, said: “[It’s] possible.”
He added: “We would want to play our part in restoring peace and tranquillity in Haiti.”
His comment comes on the heels of a Gleaner report that Jamaica Defence Force members were preparing for deployment to the CARICOM country under siege by gangsters.
Haiti’s security forces have struggled to curb the violence dogging its capital, forcing thousands to flee.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday confirmed that Jamaica would be sending troops to Haiti as part of attempts to bring stability to Port-au-Prince.
Kenya has announced that it will send 1,000 police officers while The Bahamas on Tuesday pledged to send 150 people in support if a United Nations Security Council resolution put forward by the United States is approved.
“As it is now, Jamaica’s commitment still stands. We certainly can’t go up to the 1,000 troops suggested in media [from] the Kenyans, but we will give what we can,” Holness said during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew.
“We have our own challenges here. Whatever we do cannot impact in a negative way our own security challenges,” he added.
The prime minister said that as Jamaica is a sovereign country, the Government looks at all threats to the island’s stability and acts pre-emptively and strategically to ensure that there is the capability to deal with those threats.
“Certainly, we can’t deal with the threat of a massive migration problem should one occur, but we use our international partnerships to ensure that we are able to address it.
Regardless of how we feel about the situation in Haiti and how it could impact Jamaica, in the core and in the heart of every Jamaican is sympathy and solidarity,” he said.
Thirty-seven Haitians landed in Portland last month after fleeing the anarchy in their homeland. They have since requested asylum.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, said the files are being reviewed “one by one” and that nothing has changed since the establishment of the refugee committee, which is leading the process.
Johnson Smith said Jamaica remains committed to participating in any multinational security force authorised by the United Nations Security Council resolution.
“This has been our position, stated publicly for some time now, although the process, the road to having countries to support such a force and having countries and having a country agree to lead such a force has not been a straight road,” she said.
Johnson Smith said the prime minister has been advocating for support for Haiti across a broad spectrum, including a humanitarian secured corridor to allow for goods to be distributed from the ports and for critical infrastructure to be manned.
She said this would release the Haitian national police to deal with gangs.
The foreign minister said the intent is not to provide a peacekeeping force as would have been the previous mechanism used for Haiti support and which carries “a lot of emotional baggage for Haitian people”.
She said many challenges emerged from that force.
Johnson Smith said it has not yet been determined how many Jamaican soldiers will be deployed or when.
“We are hopeful that a resolution will come forth in August as the US is now president of the Security Council and they are leading in quite a forthright manner on this Haiti issue,” she said.
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Foreign criminals are roaming the streets of Antigua with impunity. We need all the police we can get. The PM can deport all the Spanish and Jamaican smaddy to Haiti to help police.
The entire world is in turmoil underneath the calm of the “post Covid era” there are many social breakdowns in society in all Nations, we have our own issues to resolve with violence and robberies which are still ongoing… The logical approach is to stay out of this one! What will we do once we send our MOD there? Make them stay over many months or years to control ongoing law and order in Haiti? This strategy we do not have the resources for, the present uprising will resume once troops.sent there leave the Country… Also the culture is different so is the language… Haiti faces civilian gangs turned into Gangsters, these Islands could reach out to receive assistance from first world Nations who originally colonized them as first World Nations have the resources to bring the country back to law and order and maintain it. Stay away this is an expensive drama for little Antigua to be involved in! Once order is restored we could move in to pledge some kind of support for Haiti
Cockroach don’t have right in a chicken pen. No one man should be allowed to put our children in harms way. Having parents, family members, wives, girlfriends and children receiving our love ones in body bags.
GB. If you are heading the troops then I will not have no problem sending my children. However, what you intend to do is sit in your office or sleep in your luxurious house, while people’s children ore out there in the worst of conditions , facing gangs, that don’t have any value on life .
Send those who were set free after murdering Bruce Greenaway.
Send those who murdered Mannie.
A return ticket to Antigua won’t be necessary.
The Haitian crisis is deeply regrettable and sad. However, Antigua has its own internal crisis with knife and gun crime and gangs turning our country into an unsafe country.
It’s inconceivable why the buffoon would consider committing members of our armed forces to risk their lives with battling against bandits in a foreign country whilst Antigua is struggling with maintaining peace and stability in our country.
The money that would be required for sending our service men and women to Haiti, the money would be better spent on financing youth programmes that would empower our young people.
The buffoon and his administration could explore programmes such as literacy, numeracy and IT programmes that would prepare our young people for the world of work.
The French peace corps failed in their previous endeavours withrestoring Haiti to a peaceful society, I an wondering why he and the JA PM think they can do a better job.
Overall, the people of Haiti needs to change from their wicked ways and plea for God’s mercy.
PM, Browne needs to focused on our internal issues before considering outsiders. He along with the Minster responsible for immigration should take drastic steps with improving our broken immigration services.
Antigua is flooded with too many illegal immigrants many of whom are draining our limited resources. They should put an abrupt end to illegal immigrants and deport them to avoid Antigua sinking into the abyss equal to Haiti, JA, TT and Dominica Republic.
This man just love a messy situation too much to leave this one alone, he just can’t. Lmao 😂🤣.
Messy Gassy you’ll should call him. 🤣 😂
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