Press Release
☷Background Briefing with Senior State Department Official on the Situation in Haiti United States Department of State
U.S. Department of State ( By Press Release office)
Mar 14,2024
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Hey everyone , thanks for joining our call about what ' s going on in Haiti . Just a heads up , this call is off the record and embargoed until it ' s done . Today we ' ve got a senior State Department official with us , so let ' s hear what they have to say and then we can open it up for questions . Take it away , [Senior State Department Official]!We made some progress in Jamaica with the new presidential council agreement after a long day of talks , but there ' s still a lot of work to do for the Haitian people . The agreement excludes certain individuals and we ' re pledging more money to support the Multinational Security Support Mission . Challenges lie ahead , but this is a big step forward . Happy to answer any questions . Thanks . In our conversations with Kenyan officials , we ' ve emphasized the importance of deploying as quickly as possible . Given the changes in security circumstances , we ' ve discussed any additional assessments , procedures , or equipment that may be needed . But we are confident that the mission will proceed , as Kenyan officials have expressed their intention to lead it . The interim prime minister , Michel Boisvert , has also expressed support for the mission , as have all the actors in the new presidential council . They have accepted their support for Security Council Resolution 2699 authorizing the mission . Senior State Department Official: We ' ve been in regular contact with President Ruto and other senior officials in Kenya , and the legal framework for the deployment is still in place . The Government of Haiti has formally requested the mission , which has been authorized by the Security Council . No further action is needed from the Government of Haiti . During former Prime Minister Henry ' s recent trip to Nairobi , he supervised the signing of a formal agreement between Kenya and the United States for the deployment . Are you having trouble getting certain allies to join , and how are you getting others to participate in that multinational force? Also , there was a BBC report going around that said Kenya ' s mission was suspended because of Henry ' s resignation . Kenyan media was saying the mission was delayed , but there were also reports saying it was suspended . Do you have any clarity on the situation there? Thanks . As for contributions to the mission , Kenya , Benin , CARICOM countries , and countries in Latin America have offered on - the - ground force assistance . Other countries have pledged financial resources or equipment . However , the challenge at the moment is that global crises , such as the conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza , have stretched donors . This , along with other challenges in Africa and other parts of the world , has made it difficult to secure contributions . So , the donor community is really facing a lot of requirements right now . But , you know , the crisis in Haiti is just as big as any other crisis in the world . We ' ve been trying to get other countries to contribute more , and that ' s why Secretary Blinken hosted the Haiti Ministerial in February . We ' re urging all nations to contribute financially , with troops , police , logistics , equipment , to the MSS as soon as possible . QUESTION: Hi , thanks for doing this . Guy Phillippe wants to be president . Would the U . S . accept him being part of the council even though he ' s been charged in the past? And also , Kenya wants to be paid upfront for the mission ' s deployment costs . Can you clarify if any of the U . S . $300 million for the MSS will go directly to Kenya or the UN fund , or if it will be distributed differently? Thanks . MODERATOR: Let ' s go to Daphne Psaledakis from Reuters . As for the payment for deployment , the U . S . funds will be used to prepare facilities in Haiti through the Department of Defense . The Department of State ' s contribution can be used for reimbursement or even upfront funding for salaries and other activities . We are already working on reimbursing Kenya for training activities . The funding mechanisms are still being worked out , including the UN multidonor trust fund for the Haiti MSS . Canada has pledged $91 million , which may also be used in advance . SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Regarding Guy Phillippe , the requirements for the presidential council exclude individuals who have been charged , indicted , or convicted of crimes . We understand the issue of upfront funding for deployment and we ' re discussing it with the contributors . We will continue to refine it . Thank you . MODERATOR: Thank you . Let ' s go to Jacqueline Charles from the Miami Herald . OPERATOR: I ' m sorry , I don ' t see that one queued up . MODERATOR: She dropped . No big deal . OPERATOR: Yep , she dropped . No problem . MODERATOR: Can we check with Lydia Polgreen from The New York Times to see if she ' s still on OPERATOR: Yep , she ' s still here . Go ahead . QUESTION: Hey , thanks for setting up this call . I ' m wondering about the timelines moving forward , especially with the security situation being so serious in the capital . How do you see things playing out in the coming days and weeks And how will the provisional government handle security until the international force is ready SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: We ' re working closely with the Haitian National Police and providing them with the necessary resources . The immediate task for the new presidential council is to appoint an interim prime minister and cabinet . We ' ll also be working with international partners to support the MSS and prepare them for deployment . Our hope is that the recent political agreement will bring some stability , but we ' re committed to assisting Haiti in their security efforts . MODERATOR: Thanks . Let ' s hear from Michael Wilner from McClatchy , if he ' s still here QUESTION: Hi , can you hear me MODERATOR: Yes , go ahead . QUESTION: Thanks for taking my question . Can you explain how the additional funds announced by the Secretary of State will be used , and if they will help expedite the deployment of the MSS SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yes , the funds will help expedite the deployment . The money comes from the Secretary of Defense and was authorized last fall . MODERATOR: Thank you . Josh Goodman from the AP , please . OPERATOR: Thank you . I ' ll let you know . We ' re trying to call again , just to let everybody know . [Senior State Department Official] , are you back? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Yes , I can hear you . MODERATOR: Apologies for the technical issues here . We ' ll wait until [Senior State Department Official] reconnects . Apologies . Please stand by . MODERATOR: Okay . MODERATOR: Sorry , did we lose [Senior State Department Official]? OPERATOR: The line keeps dropping as soon as they call him . OPERATOR: I apologize , but every time I call it just drops . She ' s trying again . OPERATOR: Hello? MODERATOR: Great . Apologies for the technical issues , everyone . OPERATOR: Okay . OPERATOR: Yeah , I think he dropped off . The requirements for that are that once they let the Secretary of Defense know they want to use funds for this purpose , it ' s up to them to decide how much funding to provide . The ability to move forward with contracting , construction , and equipping of facilities for the MSS is all included in the funds announced yesterday , so that $200 million can be used for that process . So yes , it will definitely help speed up this process . The State Department funds you ' re talking about and the funds that have been held are separate authorities within the State Department and operate under different congressional notification rules . MODERATOR: [Senior State Department Official] , are you back on the line? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Let me address the second part first . I think not just the United States , but many countries in the international community would have concerns about having someone with a criminal record hold office . QUESTION: Can I go on the record for some of this? Maybe afterwards you would consider that . Two questions . First , a clarification: The agreement , as I understand it , was that Prime Minister Henry would resign once the interim prime minister was appointed , but when you started speaking , you mentioned that you are now dealing directly with the acting prime minister , Michel Boisvert . Can you clarify if Henry is no longer the prime minister and if Michel Boisvert is now the actual authority in the country? And my second question is about Guy Philippe . I know you said he wouldn ' t be eligible to serve on the presidential council . But if he were to win a free and fair democratic election , would the U . S . be willing to work with him , despite his criminal record in the United States? Thank you . Hey , if you want to pick up where you left off with your question , feel free to ask again . Sorry we got cut off earlier . Just let me know if you need me to repeat anything . So , for this mission , there ' s a requirement for sanitation and health training and strategy . The force members , including Kenyans and Jamaicans , are already receiving specialized training on these issues before they are deployed . Everyone is taking these issues very seriously and they are determined to avoid repeating past mistakes . The focus of this mission is to support Haitian leadership and work closely with the Haitian National Police and authorities . This is different from previous missions as it aims to integrate with the Haitian fabric of policing and security . The engagement between regional authorities , the United States , and Haitian stakeholders has been intense and has gained support for the deployment of the MSS in Haiti . We still have challenges ahead , but we ' ve made significant progress and achieved outcomes that were thought to be impossible . We are proud of the regional and global effort to reach a broad - based agreement among Haitians for the way forward . Thank you all for joining us .
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