The Tribune

THE situation in Haiti continues to cause grave concern for the nation itself and the region at large.

In this column, we have written often of the dangers that spring from the current situation in that country – with no current elected representatives and gangs that are not only out of control of the nation, but who are themselves actually in control of much of the nation.

Former Prime Minister Perry Christie is ideally placed to assess the situation there – he is a member of the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group tasked with discussing a way forward with Haitian leader and stakeholders, with the hope of reaching a point where elections can be held.

So how dangerous is the situation in Haiti? Well, when Mr Christie and his colleagues went to Haiti, there were serious concerns over safety.

He said: “The night before we were to go to Haiti, we understood that the Americans or the Canadians who would meet us would only collect us from the airport and take us to the hotel and we were concerned about safety.”

Bear in mind, this is an international group seeking to find a solution in Haiti – or perhaps more properly find a solution put forward by Haitian leaders that could be supported. That this group could not be assured of their safety shows the level of instability currently faced by our neighbour.

Intriguingly, Mr Christie says he called our current Prime Minister, Philip “Brave” Davis, and expressed such concerns.

When Mr Christie’s group landed in Haiti, he says they were met by a group of Bahamian Defence Force officers flown “at the insistence of Prime Minister Davis to guarantee our safety insofar as one can guarantee safety”.

Mr Christie called it a “magnificent effort” and said our officers were “very effective”.

There has been little mention of any such deployment by our government, so it is curious to note that amid talk of deploying Bahamian troops to Haiti there has been little focus on the fact we have already done so.

There are questions to be asked about the circumstances in which our officers were deployed on foreign soil, who gave permission and what were the terms of their deployment.

The long-term picture, however, remains what must we do to ensure stability, for the good of everyone, both inside and outside Haiti’s borders.

The reality is that as long as there continues to be a country with vast areas run by gangs, we will continue to feel the knock-on effects in refugees desperate to flee the country. The worse it gets, the more people we may find fleeing and crossing into our borders.

A healthy, thriving, economically sound Haiti is the best outcome both for us and for Haitians.

It would be naïve to think that is a simple goal – simply looking at Haiti’s history in recent years will show us that. But in the long-term, that is what would benefit both Haiti and the region.

How do we get there? That is the challenge.

But Mr Christie’s words show the dangers that lie ahead, for those trying to navigate a path – and for any more Bahamian troops that are deployed in Haiti should that come to pass.

Make no mistake – this is a deadly environment that has seen police officers killed, vigilantes killing those they deem at fault for the nation’s woes, kidnappings taking place of both locals and foreign citizens, and more.

Ignoring Haiti’s woes is not an option. But understanding the true danger of the task ahead of us all collectively in the region is essential.