The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie said the international community must ensure Haiti does not fall into a “completely failed state”.

Mr Christie, a member of the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which is trying to solve the crisis gripping Haiti, said the group has been meeting with relevant stakeholders in Haiti to facilitate a Haitian-led solution.

Mr Christie said the conditions in Haiti are deteriorating significantly at a dangerous rate.

“We in the Eminent Group have always chosen not to make public statements,” he said. “But I will simply say that I had the privilege of entertaining the top Catholic leader number two in the Catholic Church on Monday. He flew in to meet with us to explain the position of the church in this particular period.

“The international community, clearly, CARICOM clearly, we all have an obligation to ensure that we do not let Haiti fall into a completely failed state. Enormous sacrifices are being made by families, and enormous damage is being done to children who are being displaced, people who are being raped and people who’ve been killed. And so there is a call for action, and hopefully, that action will take place soon.”

The future of the international community’s efforts to help Haiti remains uncertain. In January, Kenya’s high court barred the country from deploying its police officers to Haiti. The officers were expected to lead efforts to train Haitian offices and stabilise the country.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has said he expects another country to step up and lead the mission if Kenya’s government doesn’t play the role, noting CARICOM countries lack the “capacity or the wherewithal” to lead the mission.

The Bahamas has committed to sending 150 officers to Haiti as part of a multi-national force to curb the violence in that country. Kenya said it would send 1,000 police officers to lead the force.