The Jamaican Government to Deploy Security Personnel to Assist in Haiti
The Jamaican Government is expected to announce today the deployment of a team of police and soldiers to Haiti this week. The team is to assist with planning and coordination for a larger contingent. Jamaica is supporting a multinational force to help restore law and order in Haiti.
This decision comes in the wake of escalating violence and political instability in the neighboring nation. The Jamaican military units are expected to assist with peacekeeping efforts and support the restoration of order in Haiti.
During the post-cabinet press briefing held this morning (September 10), PM Holness announced that 24 personnel will be deployed to Haiti this Thursday (September 12) to take part in a multinational security support mission, reaffirming Jamaica’s position to stand in solidarity with the Haitian people.
This team of personnel will comprise 20 reps from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and 4 reps from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
In March of this year, Jamaica hosted leaders from Caribbean nations and United States at an emergency summit to address the crisis in Haiti. The meeting was held in Jamaica, initiated by the Caribbean bloc CARICOM. The summit aimed to find a political solution to the violent and chaotic situation in Haiti, where armed gangs have a strong hold over the capital, Port-au-Prince. The country is on the brink of a civil war and famine. The summit aimed to establish a transitional council in Haiti, led by a variety of societal figures.
In August, Nationwide News reported a delay on the mission due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl to Jamaica. Information Minister, Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, in a Post Cabinet Media Briefing stated she had no dates on if or when the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) personnel’s would be deployed.
The deployment of the troops forms part of a UN-backed, Kenyan-led multinational intervention force to assist with the restoration of law and order in crisis-torn Haiti.
The move by Jamaica is part of the promise made by countries around the world to assist with the crisis.
The exact number of troops being sent and the duration of their mission have not been disclosed. However, it has been confirmed that the soldiers will be involved in a variety of operations, including security patrols and aid distribution. Last August, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica was prepared to send 200 security personnel as part of a multinational force aimed at providing support to the security and humanitarian crisis in the country.
Following an emergency CARICOM summit in March, Jamaica reiterated its support for the international police force, which is led by Kenya and backed by the United Nations and the United States.
The Bahamian and Belize soldiers arrived in Jamaica in March to train for the mission to Haiti.
The troops from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), with soldiers from the Belize Defence Force (BDF) arrived on Saturday, March 30, to participate in Exercise Trogon Shield.
Exercise Trogon Shield brings together service personnel from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Jamaica Constabulary Force, RBDF and now the BDF, as they integrate into a CARICOM Joint Task Force (CJTF) construct. The primary focus of the exercise is to train, plan and execute a wide range of scenario-driven security activities to help local police in the strife-torn French-speaking country restore law and order.
