Minister of National Security, the Hon. Wayne Munroe gave an update on the deployment of Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers to Haiti.
Munroe told reporters, “as far as I’m aware the resolution is still there for the Force. The position always was that you had to select someone to lead it. Kenya was the country to step forward to lead it. The remarks I saw that emanated from them was their police require a civilian government in order to deploy and if there becomes a civilian government they will. Our commitment was always as a supporting role.”
The Minister reaffirmed The Bahamas’ commitment to Haiti. “The Bahamas has committed to whenever there is a Haitian solution to play our part because if Haiti continues to be in turmoil more and more Haitians will leave and head our way. It’s in our national security interest that law and order returns to Haiti.”
Munroe also spoke to the security efforts of various countries to protect their borders from Haitian migrants. He said, “the US Coast Guard has deployed Coast Guard cutters to this area as well and other measures for maritime awareness, maritime control. Because these folks are headed to the US more so than us. So you would have seen HMBS Bahamas make its interdiction in the waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
CARICOM leaders met in Jamaica this week to discuss the way forward for Haiti.
