The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

RESTORING the stability of Haiti is a “big priority” of the Biden administration, according to US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Daniel Erikson.

Mr Erikson yesterday attended a conference at the University of The Bahamas on building resilience and security in island countries threatened by climate change.

During the event’s question and answer period, an audience member called on the US Navy to make Haiti a top matter on its agenda. The audience member explained that Canada has offered assistance to address the troubled state, however Haiti’s instability still has greatly impacted The Bahamas.

Mr Erikson said getting Haiti back on track politically is a priority of US President Joe Biden’s administration, adding the troubled state has been a constant focus.

“From the position of the Biden administration, getting Haiti back on track, to a place of better security, revived political process and relieving the humanitarian suffering is a very big priority. It’s something that we’re continually focused on.

“The way that we approach Haiti, it’s really our civilian agencies in the lead.

So, it leans very heavily on the State Department, the US Agency for International Development, and others. There have been actions taken as well, by the Treasury Department to sanction bad actors in Haiti, particularly those that may be involved in corruption or somehow fuelling the gang violence,” the deputy secretary said.

Mr Erikson said the US has provided assistance with the Haitian coast guard in recent times.

Haiti’s unstable government, along with the high level of crime, has resulted in irregular migrants fleeing to The Bahamas and other countries.

On Monday, a high-level delegation, led by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness along with representatives from The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago, left for Haiti to meet with politicians and other officials there to discuss security issues facing the country.

The delegation’s trip to Haiti on Monday was a success, said Prime Minister and CARICOM chairman Philip Davis, adding that it marks the beginning of a journey that will help pave the way towards the holding of free and fair elections in Haiti.

Mr Erikson said he knows there has been ongoing discussions in the UN about what action could be taken with respect to Haiti.

He said the Biden administration believes in strengthening support to the Haitian National Police, adding there needs to be sustainable assistance so the same issues do not happen.

“But we’ll see as we get more fully briefed on the recent trip by the Caribbean delegation that was there recently. And as the conversations continue to unfold, we’ll see what more could be done to support Haiti over the longer term.

“I think people, all interested parties that want to assist Haiti, want to be sure that any type of assistance is sustainable and doesn’t just kind of repeat cycles from the past,” Mr Erikson said.

Last month, at the 44th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to offer $44m in funding to aid Caribbean countries in the fight against climate change, while also unveiling his nation’s plans to help bring stability to Haiti.

He said Canada will deploy navy vessels to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the Haitian coast in the coming weeks.