Kingston. The Jamaican government announced Tuesday that it is beginning to send a limited number of troops to the Kenyan-led multinational force deployed in Haiti to restore security.
“Jamaica will begin its participation in the multinational security support mission with the deployment of 24 troops to Haiti to provide monitoring, planning and logistical support,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said after the Cabinet meeting.
This initial deployment is comprised of 20 members of the Jamaica Defence Force and four members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, according to the government statement.
The security personnel will arrive in Haiti on Thursday, September 12, where Jamaica has not ruled out sending more troops in the future to support the multinational force that began to be deployed at the end of last June.
“Security forces remain in a state of readiness to support further deployment in support of our overall commitment as the mission in Haiti expands,” Holness said.
The Prime Minister stressed that Jamaica has “close fraternal ties with the people of Haiti” as well as an interest in the national security of that country. “We are interested in supporting a lasting solution to Haiti’s problems,” he said. Jamaica is one of the countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) that has offered support to the multinational mission in Haiti.
