Bahamas to reestablish diplomatic presence in Haiti

The Bahamian government has announced plans to reestablish its diplomatic presence in Haiti after the evacuation of its diplomats in March due to escalating violence from criminal gangs attempting to overthrow the government.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell stated that the Cabinet has approved the return of Bahamian diplomats to Haiti. The Bahamian embassy, which includes 11 local staff and nine diplomatic staff members, led by Chargé Commander Godfrey Rolle, is preparing to resume operations.

Mitchell also mentioned that the building housing the Bahamian embassy is up for sale, leading officials to search for new premises.

“Defence Force officers are part of the security detail for the diplomatic mission in Haiti, and they will go ahead to assess and select a suitable location. The diplomats will follow once this is done,” Mitchell explained.

He also noted that the United Nations resolution authorizing the deployment of Kenyan troops to Haiti, which arrived last month, has been extended by a year.

“The Kenyans are now on the ground and are in operational control. The specifics of the mission will be determined by the relationship between the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Kenyan forces, and the Haitian government. This ensures we have the necessary legal framework, but currently, it’s a diplomatic mission and we’ll see how the Defence Force’s role evolves,” Mitchell said.

The Bahamas has committed to sending 150 Defence Force officers to join the Kenyan-led multinational team to help stabilize Haiti.

Recently, a second group of Kenyan police officers departed for Haiti, following the initial deployment of around 400 officers to Port-au-Prince in June, as part of Kenya’s pledge to send approximately 1,000 police personnel to assist in stabilizing the country.