US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, March 13, that Kenyan President William Ruto confirmed plans to send a security mission to Haiti and expected progress in the coming days on a transitional council.
Kenya has offered to lead a security mission, largely funded by the United States and Canada, to violence-ravaged Haiti but said the mission was on hold after Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on Monday in a deal pushed by Caribbean leaders and the United States.
Confirming an account by Ruto, Blinken said he spoke to the Kenyan leader by telephone and discussed a transitional council that was formed to name a new prime minister ahead of elections.
Ruto "confirmed Kenya's preparedness to lead that mission just as soon as this new council is stood up – which we believe will happen in the next couple of days – and an interim president is elected," Blinken said.
Blinken acknowledged the challenges ahead for Haiti, where public order has broken down and armed gangs control most of the capital.
"None of this is easy. None of this is going to happen from one day to the next," Blinken said. "But at least there is a plan, a process in place, to do that. It's Haitian-designed, it's Haitian-led, but it's supported by many countries not only in this hemisphere, but around the world."