US evacuate embassy personnel to Haiti

Periskopi

10 March 2024, 23:28(2 years ago)

The US Army said on Sunday it has conducted an operation in Haiti to evacuate the non-needed embassy personnel from the country and added that American forces are strengthening security about the embassy, while the Caribbean country is moving under an extraordinary state. Operation is the latest sign of growing problems in [...]

The operation is the latest sign of growing problems in Haiti, while gang violence threatens to bring down the government and forced thousands of people from their homes.

“Evacuation from the air of personnel inside and outside the embassy is in line with our standard safety-growing practice at embassies worldwide, and no Haitian resident was on board the military plane”, said a statement by the South Command of the American Army.

Haiti declared its state of emergency last Sunday after fighting escalated as Prime Minister Ariel Henry was Kenya, seeking support for a UN mission to his country.

Kenya announced last year that it would lead the security force, but several months of domestic legal disputes have postponed the launch of the mission.

On Saturday, the US State Department said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Kenyan President William Ruto about the crisis in Haiti and that they had stressed their commitment to a multinational mission to restore order in Haiti.

In the South Command statement, Washington reportedly remains committed to the goals of restoring order in Haiti.

Our “Embassy remains focused on efforts to boost support for the people of Haiti, including Haiti, accelerating the deployment of a UN-authorised mission and accelerating a peaceful transition of power through free and fair elections”, the statement said. / VOA/