The U.S. military has sent troops to Haiti, airlifting non-essential personnel from the U.S. embassy and beefing up security amid the gang violence plaguing the Caribbean nation.
U.S. Southern Command told FOX News Digital that the U.S. military conducted an operation to strengthen security at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince at the request of the State Department.
U.S. Southern Command said non-essential personnel were airlifted and there were no Haitians on board the plane. Non-essential staff may include family members of diplomats, but the embassy had already ordered all non-essential staff and family members to leave the country in July.
The area surrounding the embassy in the capital, Port-au-Prince, is largely controlled by gangs.
On Saturday, March 9, members of the National Palace General Security Force USGPN set up a security perimeter around one of three downtown stations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after police repelled a gang attack the previous day. . , 2024. (AP Photo/Oderin Joseph)
“The Embassy is committed to supporting the U.S. government’s efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, facilitating the deployment of UN-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) missions, and accelerating the peaceful transition of power. We remain focused on promoting free and fair elections,” Southcom said.
The latest development in Haiti’s already deteriorating situation is that the country’s embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry has ordered the deployment of United Nations-backed police forces from the East African country to fight gangs. It happened after visiting Kenya to promote. But a Kenyan court ruled in January that such deployments were unconstitutional.
Mr Henry remains unable to return home as he faces calls to resign or form a transitional council. He arrived in Puerto Rico on Tuesday after being unable to land in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti.
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Dominican President Luis Abinader said on Saturday that Prince Harry was not welcome in his country for “security reasons” and that his stay in the country was “not considered appropriate.”
Henry, a neurosurgeon, was appointed Prime Minister of Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Prime Minister Henry last month agreed to hold general elections by mid-2025, and the international community is trying to find some foreign troops willing to fight gang violence on the ground.
Meanwhile, in Port-au-Prince, police and palace guards worked to retake some streets in the capital on Saturday after gangs carried out large-scale attacks on at least three police stations.
Masked members of the G9 and Family gang stand guard during the leader’s barbecue press conference in the Delmas 6 neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Oderin Joseph)
National Palace guards accompanied by armored trucks attempted to set up a security perimeter around one of three downtown stations after police repelled an attack by the gang late Friday.
Relentless gang attacks have paralyzed the country for more than a week and reduced supplies of essential goods. Haitian authorities on Thursday extended a state of emergency and curfew as gangs continue to attack key state institutions.
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Caribbean leaders called for an emergency meeting in Jamaica on Monday over the “dire” situation in Haiti. They invited the United States, France, Canada, the United Nations, and Brazil to the meeting. It is unclear whether Mr. Henry will attend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
