As preparations for the deployment of a multinational security force to Haiti accelerate, federal contracting opportunities from the U.S. Department of Defense reveal the minute details of U.S. involvement in planning the mission.
The Multinational Security Support Mission, commonly referred to as MSS, aims to strengthen local police in their fight against gangs currently invading the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. After several delays, the Kenyan-led mission is expected to arrive in the Caribbean nation in the coming weeks.
The United States vigorously supports this mission, offering hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and resources, although it refuses to commit ground troops. Recent contracting opportunities posted on a U.S. General Services Administration site by the Department of Defense (DOD) show just how involved the United States is in equipping the multinational security force — from the security of their still-under-construction base to toothbrushes and the Internet.
On Tuesday, May 21, the Department of Defense released a contract opportunity for commercial Internet service providers capable of supporting approximately 1,400 users in Haiti, according to the website.
Contracting opportunities posted the same day also seek suppliers for “miscellaneous items” — shampoo, toothbrushes, lotions, and other items — as well as bedding for 1,300 people in Haiti.
As conditions for the mission come to fruition, U.S. security contractors are already on the ground in Haiti, about 150 people so far, according to a source familiar with the operation, CNN reported.
A posting on the same site also shows that DOD awarded a $30 million contract to GardaWorld Federal Services LLC for private security and protection services in Haiti for contractors preparing the mission base. GardaWorld, a Canadian company that provides logistics, medical and security services to government and commercial clients, told CNN it was contracted to provide those services at the hosting site.
The company was previously involved in protecting U.S. diplomatic facilities in Afghanistan, a role that is the subject of ongoing litigation initiated by a former employee, Justin Fahn, who alleges in a whistleblower lawsuit that the company misled the United States about the training of its employees.
GardaWorld denies these accusations in court filings, and a company spokesperson told CNN that they employ “highly trained security professionals” to guard the facility in Haiti.
“Beyond the contract information made public on the sam.gov platform, we have no further details to provide at this time,” a Pentagon spokesperson said when contacted by CNN for comment.
A long-delayed mission Gang violence has devastated Haiti, hampering civilians’ access to food, water and fuel. Armed groups control large portions of the Haitian capital and have forced the closure of Port-au-Prince’s international airport; after almost three months, commercial flights resumed in mid-May.
The MSS base is expected to be located near Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital Port-au-Prince. Satellite images captured on May 20 by Maxar Technologies, obtained by CNN, show significant construction near the airport since mid-May. The expansion appears to include at least five new structures and recently cleared land on the eastern end of the tarmac.
US President Joe Biden said he was working with Congress to provide $300 million for the mission and another $60 million for equipment for the country.
“There will be no American forces on the ground, but we will provide logistics, intelligence and equipment. In fact, some equipment has already arrived,” Biden said last week during a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto.
In response to a question later during the briefing, Biden also explained why the United States would not send troops on the ground.
“For the United States, deploying forces in the hemisphere raises all sorts of questions that can easily be misconstrued as to what we are trying to do…we want to do everything we can without making America seem once further decide what should be done,” Biden said.
According to documents seen by CNN, the mission will be led by a Kenyan police commissioner and a Jamaican police lieutenant, with other key positions filled by Kenyan personnel. The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad and Jamaica have also pledged to provide personnel for the mission.
May 23 was the informal deadline for a contingent to be on the ground, but the initial deployment was delayed last week after a Kenyan delegation deemed equipment on the ground insufficient, according to sources in Haiti and Washington. The sources said a major concern for Kenyan assessors – including several high-ranking police commanders – was the availability of helicopters for medical evacuations.
The MSS was authorized last year by the United Nations Security Council to assist the Haitian National Police in combating gang violence and to provide stability in the Caribbean country, following a request for military intervention by his government. Police unions and law enforcement sources in Haiti, however, expressed complaints about a lack of clear planning on how they would coordinate with the foreign force.
CNN has contacted the Haitian National Police for comment on the mission delay and logistical preparations in Haiti.
