Kenyan Court Rules Against Police Deployment to Haiti
Kenya’s High Court ruled that sending a Kenya-led multinational mission to Haiti would be illegal, as the National Security Council does not have the authority to send police outside of Kenya; the opposition leader who brought the case forward said that Nairobi should prioritize its own security challenges, but the UN Security Council had backed the plan last year (BBC)
Pope Calls for Release of Nuns Kidnapped in Haiti
Pope Francis pleaded for the release of six nuns kidnapped in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Friday and called for the end to violence in the country (Catholic News Agency)
Demonstrations Call for Resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry
Demonstrations were staged by supporters of former rebel leader Guy Philippe, who led a 2004 coup against then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and was repatriated to Haiti in November from the United States, where he had been jailed for nine years on a money laundering charge (AP)
Haitian Police Chief Visits Kenya Amid Prep for International Security Deployment
Around three hundred Kenyan police officers are preparing to deploy to Haiti in February as part of a multinational mission to support Haitian police as they fight gang violence, Kenyan officials said; the UN Security Council approved the mission but it has faced local opposition in Kenya (AP)
The officers’ deployment is pending a Kenyan court decision set for January that seeks to block the mission (AP)
House Democrats Ask Biden Administration to Change Approach to Haiti
In a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, six lawmakers recommended the administration withdraw support both for the planned multinational stabilization mission in Haiti and for Prime Minister Ariel Henry, arguing that his rule is illegitimate (The Hill)
Meanwhile, the United States and the United Nations announced new sanctions against four Haitian gang leaders (Reuters)
Kenya’s High Court Extends Block on Haiti Deployment
Despite parliamentary approval for the deployment of one thousand police officers to Haiti, High Court Judge Chacha Mwita said he would not make a ruling on the matter until January 17, 2024 (Africa News)
Kenyan Parliament Approves 1,000-Strong Police Deployment to Haiti
Though the UN Security Council had approved the deployment in October, a Kenyan court blocked it; a Kenyan lawmaker who chairs a parliamentary administrative committee said the United Nations would fund the mission (AP)
Kenya Says It Will Only Send Police to Haiti If UN Provides Funding and Training
Kenya’s interior minister said no police officers would be deployed “unless all resources are mobilized and availed;” the UN has taken steps to secure funds, but it is unclear when it will be released and when training will begin (AP)
Dominican Republic Boosts Security Presence on Border with Haiti
A government spokesperson said that additional soldiers would patrol the area as a preventive measure after a “provocation” in which Haitians allegedly crossed the border and interfered with army patrols (Reuters)
UN Human Rights Official Warns of Rapid Increase in Haiti’s Gang Violence
On a visit to the country, William O’Neill said that many gang members are children, requiring the implementation of youth rehabilitation and reintegration programs and that gangs continue to sexually abuse women and girls, many of whom do not have access to healthcare; UN figures show violence in Haiti has more than doubled compared to the same period last year (AP)
Haiti Suspends Charter Flights to Nicaragua
Seats on the flights cost Haitians thousands of dollars but offered them a way out, as Nicaragua does not require visas for certain migrants; the frequency of the flights had reached eleven per day, with guides waiting in Nicaragua to take passengers onward to Honduras, where they could continue north to the U.S. border (AP)
Kenyan Court Extends Order to Block Haiti Deployment by Two Weeks
The petition argues that the law President William Ruto used to approve the deployment conflicts with the constitution and that the mission would distract from domestic security issues (AP)
Meanwhile, experts said that Nicaragua has chartered more than 260 flights from Haiti in recent months, carrying around 31,000 people, a figure that would account for 60 percent of Haitian arrivals at the U.S. border; Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is allegedly “weaponizing” migration to pressure the United States to lift sanctions (AP)
UN: Crime in Haiti Reaches Record High
The UN said the security situation has deteriorated further, with “indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, rapes and attacks” reaching previously safe urban neighborhoods (AFP)
Former Justice Ministry Official Arrested Outside Port-au-Prince
Joseph Félix Badio is a prime suspect in the 2021 murder of former President Jovenel Moïse (NYT)
Haiti Ex-Senator Pleads Guilty to Role in 2021 Assassination of President
Former Haitian Senator Joseph Joel John, one of eleven defendants, pled guilty to providing material support for the assassination of Jovenel Moise and may face life imprisonment (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the UN and Haiti requested $21 million to shelter tens of thousands of newly displaced Port-au-Prince residents (UN)
Kenyan Court Temporarily Blocks Deployment of Police Force to Haiti
The court order will remain in place until at least October 24 as an opposition party challenges the constitutional legality of the deployment (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic announced plans to temporarily reopen the border to essential trade, including food and medicine, but said the entry ban on Haitians would remain in place (AP)
Kenyan Opposition Lawmakers Call For Vote on UN Mission
Opposition lawmakers claimed the deployment did not meet the conditions of the National Police Act and that Kenya should prioritize its domestic security concerns regarding al-Shabaab before moving forward with plans to lead a UN-backed stabilization mission in Haiti (AP)
UN Security Council Endorses Kenya-Led Force in Haiti
The vote authorized a one-year deployment of a multinational mission led by Kenya to aid Haiti’s police in quelling gang violence and protecting basic infrastructure in the country (WaPo)
The United States has pledged at least $100 million in support so far, with further details about the mission’s size and rules of engagement set to be agreed upon in the coming weeks (Haitian Times)
UN: Gang Violence is Escalating and Spreading in Haiti
The increase in killings is linked to the emergence of the ‘Bwa Kale’ vigilante movement, and the UN report also noted a rise in kidnappings and sexual violence (AP)
U.S. Announces New Sanctions, Visa Restrictions on Haitians Linked to Gang Violence
The announcement comes as G9 Gang Coalition Leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier called on Haitians to mobilize and fight Ariel Henry’s government (VOA)
U.S. Pledges More Aid for Haiti, Says Security Mission Could Launch Within Months
In addition to $65 million of aid for Haiti’s police, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden Administration would seek $100 million of assistance from Congress for the proposed Kenyan-led multinational mission (PBS;Reuters))
At the UN General Assembly, Blinken joined Kenyan President William Ruto and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in urging the UN Security Council to approve the deployment as soon as possible (UN News)
Haiti Establishes Diplomatic Ties With Kenya
The move comes after Kenya said in July that it was willing to lead a multinational security force to intervene in Haiti’s security crisis (VoA)
UN Seeks Humanitarian Exemption From DR Decision to Close Border With Haiti
The Dominican Republic announced last week that it would close all border crossings with Haiti over a dispute regarding access to a shared river; UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it would affect UN activities in Haiti and further isolate the country amid its hunger and violence crises (Miami Herald)
Conspirator in Murder of Haitian President Pleads Guilty in Miami
Germán Rivera, a former Colombian soldier, pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of conspiracy to kill and kidnap former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse; he faces life in prison (FT)
UN Security Council Endorses Kenya-Led Force in Haiti
The UN Security Council voted yesterday to authorize the deployment of a multinational mission led by Kenya to aid Haiti’s police in quelling gang violence and protecting basic infrastructure in the country (WaPo)
The United States has pledged at least $100 million in support so far, with further details about the mission’s size and rules of engagement set to be agreed upon in the coming weeks; the resolution greenlights the mission for one year, with a review due after nine months, and would be funded by contributions from UN members (Haitian Times)
The authorization vote comes a year after Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for international intervention amid the country’s worsening security and humanitarian crises (Foreign Policy)
The resolution also calls on the mission to set up an oversight mechanism to prevent and investigate human rights violations (NYT)