Musings From Abroad

Kenya-led multinational force to Haiti will face difficulties— Report

Published

11 months ago

January 7, 2024

A Kenya-led multinational mission deployed to assist the Haitian National Police in its fight against gangs will be confronted with territorial challenges, according to a recent report.

A report by the Belgium-based International Crisis Group warned that the mission might suffer some difficulties amidst peculiar local cases. Among the many issues mentioned in the report are corruption, connections between politicians, gangs, and the police, overcrowding in prisons, a shortage of police officers, and the challenges of defending civilians in urban warfare.

Kenya’s foreign ministry has maintained its readiness to be part of a multinational force and deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti. Burundi, Chad, Senegal, Jamaica, and Belize have also pledged troops for the multinational mission.

Out of the over 11 million people living in the country, less than 10,000 police officers are thought to be on duty at any given time, but the United Nations states that there should be about 25,000 active officers.

“For all these reasons, preparation will be of critical importance,” the report read.

According to Diego Da Rin of the International Crisis Group, who spent almost a month in Haiti towards the end of last year conducting research for the report, “the police are completely outnumbered and outgunned by the gangs.”

Da Rin said he interviewed a Haitian security expert who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, whom he quoted as saying, “Where are the prison facilities to put thousands of gang members? Is the international community suggesting that we kill thousands of boys? What structures are in place to reintegrate these young people into society? I’m appalled by what’s left unsaid.”

Considering that the force was authorised by the U.N. Security Council in October of last year—a year after Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, called for the immediate mobilisation of an international military force—he claimed that the people he spoke with were highly doubtful that it would ever be sent into action.

Haiti has a high rate of violent crimes, such as carjacking, armed robberies, and kidnappings for ransom. Last year, after violent gangs had essentially taken over the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti pleaded for help.

Related Topics:Featured Haiti Kenya United Nations

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Musings From Abroad

Nigeria, India to strengthen counterterrorism, maritime security cooperation

Published

1 day ago

November 18, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

During a state visit to Nigeria on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra, Modi reached an agreement, on behalf of his country, to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism, intelligence, and maritime security.

President Bola Tinubu invited Modi to visit Nigeria, the first Indian prime minister to do so in 17 years.

Tinubu is looking for investments from some of the largest economies in the world.

In addition to discussing economic development, defence, healthcare, and food security, Modi and Tinubu met at the presidential mansion on Sunday after arriving in the capital, Abuja, on Saturday night, according to a joint statement.

The two nations decided to work together to protect maritime trade routes and fight piracy in response to the mounting risks in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea.

The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria, is looking to attract more Indian investment and lower-cost credit lines in order to strengthen its economy and generate employment.

Nigeria announced last year that it had obtained about $14 billion in pledges from Indian businesses, including Jindal Steel and Power, which promised to spend $3 billion in Nigeria’s steel industry, during the G20 conference.

Over 200 Indian businesses are present in Nigeria.

Modi was scheduled to go to Brazil for this year’s G20 conference after Nigeria.

Nigeria and India have a long-standing and cordial bilateral relationship. Nigeria, home to more than 200 million people, and India, home to 1.3 billion people, are both sizable emerging nations with multilingual, multiethnic, and multireligious communities.

Musings From Abroad

Military advisors from Russia arrive Equatorial Guinea

Published

2 days ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Russian military advisors are in Equatorial Guinea training indigenous soldiers.

Anonymous sources cited by Reuters during the week claim that between 100 and 200 Russian instructors are training with elite guards in charge of guarding the President and the first family.

The males had been seen in Malabo, the country’s capital, and Bata, its second city. Reports of Russian forces stationed in the nation initially appeared in August.

Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has maintained close relations with Moscow.

Nguema travelled to Moscow in September to attend the Russian Energy Week International Forum.

Russia has strengthened military connections with African countries, sending advisors and combat soldiers to the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Faced with an Islamist terrorist insurrection, three Sahel countries have turned to Moscow for support, expelling French and American troops.