U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Haiti and the Dominican Republic to meet with leaders and discuss the ongoing security missions and instability in the region.
In Haiti, Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Garry Conille and Transitional Presidential Council Coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils to discuss the next steps in Haiti’s democratic transition, U.S. humanitarian assistance, and Haitian-led stabilization efforts, the U.S. State Department said in a Sept. 4 statement.
Violence in the country worsened after Prime Minister Ariel Henry came to power in 2021 after his predecessor was assassinated. Haiti declared a state of emergency on March 3 as instances of home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and murder increased beyond what police could deal with.
A Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission was deployed to Haiti to help restore order, with the first contingent of 400 police officers from Kenya arriving on June 25. A second contingent consisting of 200 officers arrived on July 16.
“The Secretary will reaffirm the United States commitment to supporting the Haitian people and fostering a secure and peaceful Haiti,” Brian Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said in a Sept. 4 statement. “While in Haiti, Secretary Blinken will meet with the head of the MSS and the Haitian National Police and underscore the United States continued commitment to their success.”
Nichols said Haiti has taken important steps forward in the past few months but still needs the international community to provide more financial help to allow the existing MSS force to continue its work.
“Our goal is to have a mission that is effective, strong, able to deliver the kind of security progress that the Haitian people deserve,” he said. “We’re working with our international partners to do that—and setting up a structure that ensures a reliable source of financing and staffing for that mission is a priority.”
After the trip to Haiti, Blinken will visit Haiti’s neighbor, the Dominican Republic, and meet with President Luis Abinader to discuss “economic growth, champion human rights, and promote good governance, security, and climate resilience in the region.”
The Dominican Republic is scheduled to host the 2025 Summit of the Americas, where Western Hemisphere leaders will discuss shared challenges and policy issues facing the region.
“In the Dominican Republic, we will reinforce our shared priorities, such as promoting democratic governance, supporting free and fair elections in the region, and fighting corruption,” Nichols said.
“We certainly hope to see more normal relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The countries are inexorably linked. And we certainly will have those conversations with leaders on both sides of the border.”
