Wed Sep 11 05:08:00 UTC 2024: ## Jamaica Deploys Troops to Haiti Amidst Growing Gang Violence

**KINGSTON, JAMAICA -** A contingent of 20 Jamaica Defence Force personnel and four from the Jamaica Constabulary will be deployed to Haiti on Thursday, joining a multinational security force aimed at restoring stability to the violence-torn nation. This deployment marks a key step in Jamaica’s commitment to the mission, first announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in January 2022.

The Jamaican personnel will provide command, planning, and logistics support, as part of a gradual build-up of international forces in Haiti. Holness emphasized that Jamaica was the first to commit troops, stressing the need for Haitian support, proper jurisdiction, and adequate resources for any successful intervention.

“Jamaica has close fraternal ties to the people of Haiti and we stand in solidarity with them,” said Holness. He also highlighted the national security implications for Jamaica, given the shared border and the growing threat of organized crime in the region.

“We see this as an evolving existential threat to law and order,” Holness said, referencing the rise of gangs and their impact on state institutions in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. “Haiti is the example of what could happen if states and governments do not take the problem seriously.”

The JDF has been preparing for over a year for deployment, according to Chief of Defence Staff Vice-Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman. “It takes a lot of planning,” she stated, adding that the Jamaican contingent will be under the command of JDF Colonel Kevon Henry, designated as deputy commander of the overall mission.

Haiti has been in a state of crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The absence of a functioning government has allowed gangs to seize control, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where kidnappings, civilian deaths, and gang-rape have become commonplace. The violence has also disrupted food and fuel supplies, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

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