Kenya and the United States have inked a defence agreement on Monday, setting the stage for the East African nation to receive vital resources and support for security deployments. This strategic partnership comes as Kenya prepares to lead a multinational peacekeeping mission to Haiti, aimed at addressing the issue of gang violence.
The accord, signed by Kenya’s Defense Minister, Aden Duale, and U.S. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, during a meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, outlines the defense cooperation between the two nations for the next five years. This commitment coincides with the escalating battle against the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab extremist group in East Africa.
Secretary Austin expressed gratitude to Kenya for assuming leadership in the multinational effort to bring stability to Haiti. He reaffirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to work closely with Congress to secure the $100 million in funding pledged during the U.N. General Assembly.
Austin also called upon the international community to follow Kenya’s lead in promoting global security, urging nations to increase their contributions of personnel, equipment, support, training, and funding.
In August, Kenya made a commitment to deploy 1,000 security officers to Haiti to address the ongoing gang violence, pending formal approval by the U.N. Security Council. This mission has garnered support from both the U.N. and the U.S.
Minister Duale underlined Kenya’s readiness to deploy to Haiti, citing the country’s extensive history of participating in global peacekeeping missions, including engagements in Kosovo, neighbouring Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, concerns have arisen among human rights activists regarding the deployment of troops to Haiti, citing past human rights violations during security operations in the region. Some security experts have also raised the issue of a potential language barrier between the Kenyan deployment, primarily English and Swahili speakers, and the people of Haiti, where French and Creole are the official languages.