US Legislators Call on Biden Administration to Withdraw Support for Armed Foreign Intervention in Haiti

In their letter, the legislators said “ we believe that a genuine commitment to supporting the Haitian people requires the United States to withdraw support from de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition”.

They said that the UN Security Council’s recent approval of the US-drafted resolution supporting a Kenyan-led MSS to Haiti “lacks a clear mission and strategy.”

They noted that, over a year ago, Prime Minister Henry requested foreign support to address the then-gang-led blockade of fuel terminals and humanitarian aid.

But they added that Haitian authorities have already recovered the main fuel terminals and begun distributing supplies.

“We are gravely concerned that an armed foreign intervention will only serve as a tool to buttress an illegitimate leader and undermine efforts by a representative transitional government to define the actual support desired from the international community.

“Moreover, we are disturbed by the decision to deploy Kenyan security forces, who have a well-documented record of violating human rights.”

The lawmakers claimed that, earlier this year, the Kenyan security forces allegedly killed up to 23 people during demonstrations in Kenya, “raising concerns with both the UN and Amnesty International” about police brutality in Kenya.

They also noted that the Kenya National Civil Society Center has opposed the deployment of Kenyan security forces to Haiti, accusing them of “extrajudicial killings”

“With the absence of clear objectives for this MSS mission, we strongly believe that funding this security operation in tandem with continued support for the de facto Haitian authorities is a misguided strategy that may have catastrophic repercussions for the Haitian people.

“The message from Haitian civil society and Haitian-American Diaspora leaders has been loud and clear: the US should stop propping up the unconstitutional de facto government and support a democratic political transition,” the US legislators wrote.

They said while the international community has “seemed singularly focused on the issue of security, a broad swath of Haitian civil society, political, academic, labour, private sector and religious leaders have come together to present a modest proposal for a real transitional government that will pave the way for a Haitian-led solution to this multifaceted crisis.

“Unfortunately, de facto Prime Minister Henry – buoyed by diplomatic support from the US – has rejected these attempts and has only deepened his grip on power. The State Department should not override the will of the Haitian people; it is clear that a transitional government is the only viable path forward for Haiti to return to stability and democracy.”

The Congresswomen said while there are no manufacturers of guns and ammunition in Haiti, “the gangs rely on shipments from the United States to arm themselves.”

They said countering this continued gun trafficking to Haiti is “a critical step to the security and stability of the country.

“We urge you to work with the relevant government agencies, including the Department of Justice, to take the steps necessary to put a robust anti-arms trafficking to Haiti strategy in place, “they urged Blinken.

“We understand that Haiti’s problems are complex and the current everyday violence the Haitian people face is untenable. Our hearts break for the Haitian people, and we stand with them in solidarity,” they stated.

“Rather than hastily address this situation by supporting an armed foreign intervention – a strategy that has been tried and failed several times in Haiti – we urge you to take a holistic approach,” they added. “This includes withdrawing support for military intervention and prioritising a representative transitional government in Haiti.”