Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith
.png)
Kamina Johnson Smith and White House press secretary Jen Psaki
Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith says Haiti has not asked for assistance from regional security forces in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on Wednesday.
Mrs Johnson Smith gave an update on the situation in Haiti during Friday's sitting of the Senate where she stated that Jamaica stands ready to assist.
Questioned about possible military help to the French-speaking country, Mrs Johnson Smith said a request would have to come from Haiti.
"Security forces can only be deployed on the request of a sovereign state, and I think that while people speak about the sovereignty of Haiti in one hand, they seem to conveniently forget it in others. Haiti has not requested any military support from CARICOM," she declared.
Mrs Johnson Smith said the issue of engaging with Haiti is a complex one.
She said Jamaica and CARICOM had been working with President Moïse to help to restore Haiti's institutions and ensure elections are held, but noted that because that country's institutions are not optimised, "it makes it difficult to follow through on certain issues."
US sending help
The United States is sending agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a request from Haiti to help in the investigation of President Moïse's assassination.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday the investigators will leave as soon as possible.
Additionally, she noted that in January this year, the US had announced a $75.5 million allocation for issues including "democratic governance, health, education, agricultural development and strengthening of pre-election activities" in Haiti.
She said "strengthening Haiti's law enforcement capacity is a key US priority" and had been so prior to President Moïse's assassination.
Pressed on reports that two Haitian Americans were involved with the assassination, Ms. Psaki declined to comment.
Assassins recruited
The Colombians implicated in the assassination of the Haitian President were reportedly recruited by four companies and travelled to Haiti in two groups.
Seventeen suspects have been detained in the killing of Mr. Moïse.
At a new conference on Friday, the head of Colombia's police, General Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified.
He said two of the suspects travelled to Haiti via Panama and the Dominican Republic, while the second group of 11 arrived in Haiti on July 4 from the Dominican Republic.
Among those detained by police were two Haitian-Americans who have been described as interpreters for the attackers.
Another eight suspects are still at large.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
