The U.S. and Kenya have signed a defense agreement that will see the East African nation get resources and support for The U.S. and Kenya signed a defense agreement Monday that will see the East African nation get resources and support for security deployments as it is poised to lead a multi-national peacekeeping mission to Haiti to combat gang violence security U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Kenya’s Defense Minister Aden Duale signed the accord at a meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The agreement guides the countries’ defense relations for the next five years as the war in East Africa against
Austin thanked Kenya for volunteering to take the leadership of the Haiti multi-national force and reiterated that the government would work with Congress to secure the $100 million in funding that it pledged on the sidelines of the U.N AssemblyAustin said the rest of the world ought to follow Kenya’s commitment to global security and “step up and provide personnel, equipment, support, training and fundingKenya has pledged to send 1,000 security officers to Haiti to combat violence in a mission that is pending the U.N Security Council’s formal approval but has received support from the U.N. U. SDuale said his country is ready to deploy to Haiti and cited Kenya’s “very long history of global peacekeeping” in Kosovo,
Human rights activists, meanwhile, have expressed concerns over the deployment, citing a history of human rights abuses during security operations in the country Some security analysts have expressed concerns that there will be a language barrier between the deployment from Kenya, an English- and Swahili-speaking country, and the people of Haiti, where the official languages are French and Creole On the regional fight against al-Shabab, Austin said he had met with Somalia’s president and that both agreed that the country had made “significant progress in the last year against al-Shabab.” But Austin also said that “progress is not always a straight line so we may see things improve significantly on one day see challenges on
Somalia last week asked the U.N. to pause for three months the withdrawal of 3,000 troops in the second phase of drawdown to allow the country’s forces to regroup. Somalia is expected to take up its full security responsibilities by end of 2024 Kenya and the US on Monday signed a pivotal defense cooperation framework during a visit by the US defense secretaryThe landmark deal stresses military interoperability, strengthens their partnership in the fight against extremist groups like al-Shabaab, and opens doors for Kenya to lead a multinational security support mission in Haiti with substantial US supportKenya in August pledged to deploy a contingent of 1,000 well-trained police officers to help restore normalcy
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged $100 million in assistance for the Haiti mission, highlighting the US and Kenya’s shared commitment to peace, security, and stability in the region and worldwideSigning the framework for defense cooperation between our two countries reinforces the importance of our strategic partnership with Kenya,” Austin saidHe added: “It will help guide our bilateral defense relationship for the next five yearsAustin also expressed his gratitude to Kenya for hosting US forces at Manda Bay, underscoring the importance of their strategic allianceKenyan Defense Minister Aden Duale echoed
Duale outlined three key focus areas of their discussions: reaffirming their strong partnership, enhancing military interoperability in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and Kenya’s continued contributions to international peacekeeping effortsHe said it represents a significant milestone in relations between Kenya and the US and underscores their shared commitment to peace, security, and stability in the region and beyondThis cooperation will enable us to respond effectively to the ever-evolving security challenges in our region and beyond,” Duale saidenhancing military interoperability in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and Kenya’s continued contributions