Blinken meets with Kenyan counterpart in Washington

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Thursday with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi to discuss peace and security in East Africa and the situation in Haiti.

"The work that Kenya is doing to promote regional peace and security, the efforts that we’re also making together to deepen and strengthen our economic relationship – all of these I think are very important and positive signs of the depth and breadth of the relationship," Blinken said before meeting with Mudavadi.

"We look forward to consolidating our partnership on the various issues that have to be tackled," said Mudavadi.

Last year, Kenya, known for its expertise in combating violent extremism and organized crime, had offered to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti as part of a United Nations Multinational Security Support mission.

The deployment, approved by parliament in November 2022, aimed to assist in maintaining law and order in the face of escalating gang violence and political instability in Haiti.

Haiti has been grappling with significant instability, exacerbated by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by an armed group in 2021.

The resulting violence has deepened the already dire humanitarian and economic situation in the Caribbean nation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the US and other members of the international community have advocated for the deployment of an international force in Haiti, pledging financial support to Kenya for such an endeavor.