U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Thursday, marking his first visits to the two Caribbean nations as the top U.S. diplomat.
Blinken’s visit to Port-au-Prince underscores U.S. support for Haiti, with additional humanitarian assistance expected as the country grapples with gang violence. His visit to Santo Domingo, meanwhile, follows the start of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader’s second term in mid-August.
A senior State Department official told reporters Wednesday that the United States is prioritizing efforts with its international partners to establish a structure that ensures “a reliable source of funding and staffing” for the security mission in Haiti.
Transfer of officer functions
US President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly considering the possibility of transitioning the largely US-funded multinational security force to a traditional UN peacekeeping operation.
“Formal peacekeeping operations are one way we can do that, but we’re looking at other ways to do it,” said Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.
With about a month left in the mandate of the UN-ratified, Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti, progress remains limited, and many promises remain unfulfilled.
“The one-year anniversary of the mission is October 2nd, and we will be working to ensure that the mission is successful, and to renew its mandate in whatever form,” Nichols told VOA on Wednesday.
Gang-related violence and drug trafficking have fueled political instability and insecurity in Haiti, leading to poor and unbearable living conditions for Haitians.
International assistance
In October 2022, Haiti requested the deployment of international troops to assist the Haitian National Police in combating armed gangs and facilitating humanitarian assistance. In October 2023, the UN Security Council approved the MSS.
The United States and Canada are the largest funders of the MSS in Haiti. The estimated first-year cost of the mission is $589 million. The United States has provided $309 million, including $200 million for the MSS mission base and $109 million in financial support.
The US State Department said during his stay in Haiti, Blinken will review progress made in improving security and advance efforts to appoint an interim electoral board so Haiti can move toward elections.
Blinken will hold talks with Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council President Edgard Leblanc Fils and Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille. Blinken will also meet with MSS Chief Godfrey Otunge and Haitian National Police Chief Normil Rameau.
At least 80% of Port-au-Prince is no longer under Haitian government control, and the violence has spread to other parts of the country.
In the past year, displacement in Haiti has tripled as gang violence has gripped the Caribbean nation. The UN reports that at least 578,000 people have been displaced by the violence, including killings, kidnappings and rape.
The situation is further exacerbated by widespread hunger, with nearly half of the 11.7 million population facing acute food insecurity.
Gangs, some of which are allied with political elites, seized control of territory and black markets during the tenure of deeply unpopular former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who took office after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Henry stepped down in April 2024 following the formation of the Transitional Presidential Council. (em/lt)
