US Raises Alarm Over Kenya’s Readiness for Haiti Peacekeeping Mission
US Raises Alarm Over Kenya’s Readiness for Haiti Peacekeeping Mission
The United States Department of Defense has put forth a proposal to Congress advocating for an expanded role for its special operations forces.
Traditionally focused on counterterrorism, border security, and counternarcotics operations, these elite units would now engage in resistance and foreign internal defence missions under the proposed changes. Kenya serves as a prominent case study in this proposal. While Kenya’s conventional and special operations capabilities are growing, its security infrastructure remains vulnerable to corruption, subversion, lawlessness, terrorism, and the spectre of civil unrest. The Pentagon stresses the urgency of addressing these challenges.
“Kenya is a prime example as their conventional and [Special Operations Force] units are growing in capacity, but their security infrastructure and institutional pillars are vulnerable to corruption, subversion, lawlessness, terrorism and civil war,” notes the proposal by the Pentagon.
As part of this initiative, the US government has committed Sh13 billion in aid to support Kenya’s deployment of police forces to Haiti where they will contribute to peacekeeping efforts. However, the project faces delays due to incomplete construction of a base to house the officers. The official deployment date is set for May 23, 2024. Moreover, the Pentagon has expressed concern over security dynamics in Scandinavian and Baltic countries, highlighting the risk of Russian influence in the region. Through partnerships with these nations, special operations authorities aim to mitigate this threat and bolster regional stability.
Congress will review the proposed legislative changes in the coming weeks which could pave the way for expanded special operations missions. Concurrently, an initial group of 200 Kenyan police officers will soon depart for Haiti with additional contingents to follow in subsequent weeks. Officers from Benin have also pledged their support.
