Congresswoman, Yvette D. Clarke, of New York and Ayanna Presley of Massachusetts have collaborated with fellow legislators, Rashida Tlaid, Barbara Lee, and Jan Schakowsky in Washington DC, and they are calling on the Biden Administration to withdraw the United States support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti.
In their combined written decision to the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, the US legislators expressed concern that a foreign military intervention further risks destabilizing Haiti, and “endangering the current illegitimate regime.”
“We are gravely concern,” the letter notes, “that an armed foreign intervention will only serve as a tool to buttress an illegitimate leader and undermine efforts by a representative transitional government, to define the actual support desired from the international community. The State Department should not override the will of the Haitian people,” they suggested. The group of US legislators agreed that a transitional government is the only valuable path forward for Haiti to return to stability and democracy.
The letter states also that to further save the lives of Haitians and reduce violence in Haiti, the Biden administration should “swiftly block arms shipments to Haiti and hold weapons traffickers, and gang financiers accountable for their actions… countering this continued gun trafficking to Haiti is a critical step to help restore security and stability of the country,” they chronicled.
The group also requested that the administration work with relevant US government agencies, including the Department of Justice, to take the steps necessary to provide robust anti-arms trafficking to Haiti, rather than addressing this situation by supporting an armed foreign intervention — “we urge you to take a holistic approach,” the legislators recommended.
In continuing to explain their reason for opposing armed foreign intervention in Haiti, they also expressed their concern with the decision to have the deployment of the Kenyan Security Force on the island, explaining, “it’s well-documented of the Kenyan security force violating human rights.” The letter pointed to the decision by the Kenya National Civil Society Center on rejecting the deployment of the Kenyan Security Forces to Haiti, accusing them of “extrajudicial killings,” and the alleged killing of 23 people by the security force during a demonstration in Kenya earlier this year.
The messages from the Haitian Civil Society and the Haitian American Diaspora leaders have been loud and clear. The Caribbean Life Newspaper spoke to one of New York City’s local politicians, City Councilwoman, Mercedes Narcisse, also a Haitian American, and representing the 46th Council district, with a large Haitian population. According to the Councilwoman, she is committed to promoting sustainable and peaceful solutions for Haiti’s long-term prosperity. Narcisse emphasized, “we must not repeat foreign policies, which have failed time and time again. Therefore, I join Congresswoman Clarke in her opposition to further armed intervention,” the New York City Councilwoman said. She called for humanitarian action to end the proliferation of arms into the country to help ensure long term stability.
The legislators also outlined that the Haitian gangs rely on shipments of guns from the United States to arm themselves and noted that “Haiti’s problem are complex and the current everyday violence the Haitian people face is untenable. Our hearts break for the Haitian people, and we stand with them in solidarity,” the letter stated.
The legislators did not omit the historic place Haiti holds in Black history, the letter notes too that come Jan. 1, 2024, Haiti will mark its 220 anniversary as an independent nation.
