Image: external source
Port-au-Prince, Haiti.- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Port-au-Prince for a brief visit to discuss Haiti’s political transition and assess the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), which aims to reduce violence in the country. Blinken met with the Transitional Presidential Council and Prime Minister Garry Conille, alongside political party members, to support efforts towards organizing elections.
He then visited the MSS base, where only 400 Kenyan troops have been deployed, far short of the expected 2,500 multinational forces. This is the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to Haiti since John Kerry’s tenure. Blinken’s visit underscores Washington’s interest in pairing security improvements with political progress, as armed gangs had previously taken control of much of Port-au-Prince. The U.S. and its partners are also considering establishing a UN peacekeeping mission for better coordination in fighting gangs.
After Haiti, Blinken will visit the Dominican Republic to meet with President Luis Abinader to discuss Haiti’s security issues and the need to normalize relations between the two countries.