Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell.
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said defence force officers and Bahamians in Haiti have been given a voluntary withdrawal order, allowing them to leave the country at any time without government approval if they feel unsafe.
The voluntary withdrawal opportunity for defence force officers is uncommon, as military personnel deployed in peacekeeping or stabilisation missions usually require formal withdrawal or redeployment orders issued by the government or agency.
“No one is going to be put in harm’s way,” Mr Mitchell said yesterday in a voice note, adding that the government is “watching the situation day to day, minute by minute”.
His comments follow the announcement that Bahamasair flights to Haiti have been halted, joining several US airlines that halted operations after a recent security incident. Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue suspended flights to Port-au-Prince after a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale was struck by gunfire while attempting to land. The plane was forced to divert to Santiago, Dominican Republic, where it landed safely, though a flight attendant sustained minor injuries.
“Bahamasair has taken, I imagine, the normal precautions that any airline would take in the circumstances of what transpired in Haiti over the last few days,” Mr Mitchell said, describing the airline’s decision as sensible to “protect life and limb”.
The security situation in Haiti has deteriorated sharply following the dismissal of Prime Minister Garry Conille by Haiti’s transitional presidential council (TPC). Mr Conille, a former United Nations official, was appointed less than six months ago. Haiti now has neither a president nor a functioning parliament, leaving a power vacuum increasingly exploited by armed gangs.
According to the United Nations, over 3,600 people have been killed in Haiti since January, and more than 500,000 have been displaced. With nearly half the population facing food insecurity, the country’s humanitarian crisis has deepened.
Last month, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) deployed six officers as part of the United Nations Multinational Security Support Mission. The Davis administration has pledged to send 150 officers to the mission, which is supported by a UN policing initiative led by Kenyan officers. Several hundred Kenyan officers have recently arrived in Haiti, with more expected to join.
The RBDF’s role includes securing ports to facilitate humanitarian aid, conducting maritime patrols to prevent illegal migration, and collaborating with regional partners to support Haiti’s stability. Officers are scheduled to serve a six-month term. It is unclear how the voluntary withdrawal order Mr Mitchell referenced affects officers’ mission.
“The Bahamas government has a presence in Haiti for reasons which help our country,” Mr Mitchell said. “We have, for example, hundreds of migrants, if not thousands of migrants, coming to this country unlawfully. They have to be returned to Haiti, and there has to be someone that you speak to and make sure that that’s organised on that end.”
Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has repeatedly criticised the government for potentially deploying defence force officers to Haiti.
In April, Mr Mitchell pushed back against him, accusing him of “scaremongering”.
Comments
actusreus 20 hours, 34 minutes ago
How will they leave? If it is without government approval they will most likely have to find and fund their own way back home. If the US fights are suspended and Bahamasair has suspended flights the question to be asked and answered is how will this work.
Sickened 19 hours, 43 minutes ago
They gonna have to hitch a ride on the next sloop out.
ThisIsOurs 9 hours, 22 minutes ago
Lol
birdiestrachan 17 hours, 43 minutes ago
Maybe they sent Hatian Bahamians who wanted to assist their mother land
hj 16 hours, 53 minutes ago
Congratulations Freddie you have done it again. You have just sent them and now you are saying they can withdraw if they wish? So why did you sent them on the first place? Had not you realized that they could be in danger? The things that our politicians do are really mind blowing
TalRussell 16 hours, 39 minutes ago
Redirect the multiple millions of dollars from Haiti to -- DNA, Witness Evidence, So-called confessions cases involving popoulaces' before the courts and in lockup and in prison, -- Must be prioritised for immediate review as to staying charges. -- Prioritise, all those popoulaces', -- Shouldna lost their freedom. --- Fox Hill Prison and Immigration Detention are overcrowded with wrongful imprisonments'. -- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 13 hours, 57 minutes ago
I'm lost. Did nobody forsee the obvious? That this was a very dangerous mission and that all semblance of law and order could disappear? Why send the men then tell them days after they can leave if they want with incoming and outgoing flights a very dangerous proposition
hrysippus 9 hours, 23 minutes ago
This is just weird. Do our politicos just have so little understanding of how military operations are conducted? The Colonel: "Advance Infantry Regiment.. Private. " "Well no, I do not want to do that today." Lord save us from such ignorance.....
rosiepi 6 hours, 59 minutes ago
What nonsense! Dr Minnis is exactly right. How could Davis&Co send Bahamians into a war torn country and declare that they are not in harm’s way? As for Mitchell’s ridiculous explanation for the fact that RBDF has officers to organize Haitian migrants once they’ve arrived in Haiti? The Bahamas gov’t doesn’t show that much care for them when they’re in this country let alone after they’ve been repatriated!
And even the Kenyans have had little success, not surprising since they number 400 against 200 gangs with up to 15,000 members.Their mission is reportedly short on equipment and money. The Kenyan officer in charge, a former director of police in Kenya who’s served in other peacekeeping roles said he was surprised that gangs operated in broad daylight killing with impunity. But hey no worries, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/us/k…
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