RBDF readies force for U.N mission in Haiti

THE WATCH STAFF

The Bahamas is readying 150 Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) members to deploy to Haiti as part of the U.N. security mission being led by Kenya. Prime Minister Wayne Munroe said the departure date of the three platoons is still uncertain, according to a September 18 report by ZNS, the state television broadcaster. The Bahamas committed the RBDF force in 2023 after the U.N. authorized the mission to stabilize the situation in its island neighbor, which devolved into gang violence and widespread disorder after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.

“All Bahamians would be aware that we are the CARICOM [Caribbean Community and Common Market] country most affected by the unrest in Haiti. When there is unrest, migrants flow out,” Munroe said, according to ZNS. CARICOM is a group of 20 nations in the Caribbean.

The Bahamian government won’t divulge when the troops will leave for Haiti or any details of their mission. But, Munroe said, the RBDF will be working in coordination with the U.N. “We don’t give that kind of detail. As has been shown when one looks at our other CARICOM nations who are deploying, there’s a command center and a safe zone at the airport that is responsible for the overall command of the mission. And of course, if you’re gonna have personnel participating in anything, you’re not gonna want to be disconnected from decision-making,” he said. Three platoons will serve four months at a time for a yearlong RBDF presence in Haiti, Munroe said.

RBDF Commodore Raymond E. King said RBDF personnel headed to Haiti had intense training this year in Jamaica, which included Canadian trainers. “They were part of a contingent that were trained by the Canadian Armed Forces,” King said. “The thing is safety is paramount. In those types of operations, the risk of casualty or death is quite possible given the environment and the nature of what’s going on in Haiti at this time,” he said.

The Jamaican government invited the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to the country in April 2024 to train 330 troops from the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica. About 70 CAF members conducted the training, according to Magnetic Media, a Caribbean media company and broadcaster. By helping its Caribbean partners, “Canada is stepping up with important contributions to Haiti’s security. We will continue to support Haitian-led efforts to build stability,” Canadian Minister of Defence Bill Blair said. King said an advance team would travel to Haiti before the troops were deployed, according to Magnetic Media.

The U.N mission is still forming. Kenya has about 400 police officers in Haiti based at the international airport in Port-au-Prince, which is operating again after being closed because of gang attacks. Earlier in September 2024, about two dozen Jamaican police officers and Soldiers arrived. The security mission’s total force is expected to reach 2,500, with much of the cost of the operation paid for by the U.S., Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad have also pledged troops. Kenyan President William Ruto visited Haiti in September 2024 to praise his police officers’ early progress, according to The Associated Press.