P-to-P, April 22, 2024 [AlterPresse] — A group of Kenyan pastors and staff of Kenyan President William Ruto’s wife Rachel Ruto participated in a Zoom meeting earlier this April 2024 with the leader of the gang coalition called Live TogetherJimmy Chérizier, alias Barbecue, revealed Serge Musasilwa, member of the delegation and national director of a religious ministry (in charge of a large cell within a church) in central Kenya.
This information was relayed by the site Christianity Today (Ct), a monthly magazine of evangelical Christian information and reflections, founded in 1956 by the American pastor Billy Graham and consulted by the online agency AlterPresse.
The Kenyan religious delegation traveled to the United States of America to meet with church and business leaders, American and Haitian officials, as well as representatives of law enforcement and the army to discuss of the Multinational Security Support Mission (Mmas) in Haitiwhich should be led by Kenya.
This Kenyan religious delegation also had discussions, via Zoom, with Jimmy Chérizier (Barbecue).
The group of Kenyan pastors wanted to hear from people from all sectors of Haitian society, in order to better understand the challenges that the Kenyan police could face in the event of a possible deployment to Haiti, Musasilwa said.
Kenyan President William Ruto reportedly instructed the Kenyan religious delegation to hold discussions, which could help inform Kenyan forces about the situation in Haiti, with the aim of increasing the chances of success of the Kenyan security mission in the event of possible deployment to Haiti, Serge Musasilwa told Christianity Today.
Part of the fact-finding trip was simply identifying what was working within the government in Haiti and trying to understand Haiti’s government structure, Musasilwa added.
The religious group is expected to present its findings this month to William Ruto, ahead of a presidential trip to the United States, planned for May 2024.
This would be the first state visit by an African president to the American presidency (the US White House) in 16 years (since 2008).
The plan to deploy the security mission in Haiti is moving forward, despite funding delays, said William Ruto, emphasizing how his country has a moral obligation to help Haiti.
The administration of President Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden has committed to providing 40 million US dollars (Editor’s note: US $ 1.00=+ 140.00 gourdes; 1 euro=143.00 gourdes; 1 Canadian dollar=97.00 gourdes; 1 Dominican peso=2.40 gourdes) for the deployment of Mmas, which are currently blocked by the Republicans in the American Congress, recalled Ruto.
The deployment of this force was authorized by the United Nations Security Council on October 2, 2023after one Robust request for assistance, made on October 7, 2022 by the de facto government in favor of the Haitian National Police (PNH) in the fight against armed gangs.
The Government of Kenya had decided to suspend the planned sending of Kenyan police officers to Haitias part of this mission to Haiti, evoking a radical change, following the complete collapse of public order and resignation, on Monday March 11, 2024, of de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Since Tuesday March 5, 2024, Ariel Henry finds himself stranded in Puerto Rico.
During the month of March 2024, pastors advising the Kenyan government, Haitian and American ministerial leaders as well as the wife Rachel Ruto of the President of Kenya met, for three days, in a hotel in Nairobi (Kenya), to pray for the multinational police force, which Kenya volunteered to lead, to assist Haitian law enforcement.
They pleaded for divine help for the Caribbean country, besieged by armed gangs who continue to intensify their coordinated attacks in the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Process of establishing the Transition Council in a context of armed gang violence
On Sunday April 21, 2024, heavy gunfire was again heard in several neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, notably in the city center, in Delmas (one of the municipalities in the northeast) and Pétionville (municipality in the east). ).
This would be a new coordinated attack by the gang coalition, called Live Togetherin the context of preparations for the upcoming installation of the Presidential Transitional Council.
On the evening of Tuesday April 16, 2024, the de facto government formally published the reproduced order appointing the 9 members of the Presidential Transitional Councilfrom various sectors and political parties, through the X account of the de facto prime minister’s office, after more than 24 hours of confusion around this appointment.
The decree, taken in the council of ministers, is initialed by the outgoing de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, who is abroad, and the other members of the de facto government.
According to article 1 of the decree, the Presidential Council includes the following seven voting members: Smith Augustin, Louis Gérald Gilles, Fritz Alphonse Jean, Edgard Leblanc fils, Laurent St Cyr, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Leslie Voltaire.
The two non-voting members are Régine Abraham and Frinel Joseph. [emb rc apr 22/04/2024 11:10]
