The United States and Kenyan governments have met as part of the consultations on peace in Africa and the disturbing humanitarian condition in Haiti.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Kenyan Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The diplomats emphasized the urgency of establishing a Gang Suppression Force and UN Support Office to ensure Haiti re-establishes security and returns to the path of stability.
Landau and Mudavadi also discussed the situation in Somalia, U.S. efforts to achieve peace in Africa, and explored additional opportunities for security and commercial cooperation.
Both sides agreed that through a vital and enduring partnership, America and Kenya “can work cooperatively toward a more safe, stable, and prosperous region and world.”
Haiti faces a serious crisis worsened by powerful armed groups that took control of the nation after violence escalated in 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïs.
Militias hold sway in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other areas, consolidating power since the forceful resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry from the defunct Transitional Presidential Council.
Years of corruption, instability, and weak state institutions emboldened numerous gangs with close connections to political and economic elites who use them as enforcers.
Firearms are freely brandished in the streets of Haiti, where the gangsters make money by extorting farmers and traders, selling drugs and arms, and running infrastructure like ports and roads.
