By Gerrino J. Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

As civil unrest fuelled by vicious gang activity continues to create an unsafe and
unstable society in Haiti, the six member contingent from the Royal Bahamas
Defense Force (RBDF) have had the signing of necessary documents and other
security procedures resolved and are now ready to carry out their duties in Haiti
and according to the Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe that are looking
forward to the mission.
While addressing the media and giving an update on the mission Mr. Munroe said,
“I’m pleased to tell you that the men were anxious to go and fulfil their mission.
The five men and one woman who deployed to the headquarters, they were
anxious to go and do their duty. And I would think that as people of faith we
should keep them in our prayers.”
He expressed that conditions in Haiti have become more hostile in recent weeks as
close to 200 people mostly elderly were killed by gang members on December 7 th
and 8 th .
“One of the gang leaders recently murdered 180 old people,” he said. “One
hundred and eighty old people over two days, because he thought somebody put a
spell on his son. And so it is that type of inhumanity towards other men and
women that security and stability in Haiti will seek to address.”
The Bahamas has committed to sending as many as 150 RBDF officers to assist
the multinational force. Meanwhile, some Bahamians are not in support of the
government sending officers and marines to Haiti in essence to ‘fight another
man’s battle’ is what the general consensus is.
In response to such sentiments the National Security Minister has previously
explained why sending troops to Haiti is in the best interest of The Bahamas.
He said, “well, one of their main jobs is to stop migrants from Haiti right? So if
people are leaving Haiti because of instability and when we catch them we have to
actually house them here and pay millions upon millions of dollars to house them
and then millions upon millions of dollars to repatriate them. You are going to pay
tax payers money on addressing the problems in Haiti one way or the other.”

Meanwhile, the National Security Minister also reiterated plans that were
previously revealed to detour the trafficking of guns into Haiti which are used by
gangs to carryout vicious acts on citizens, and used to rebel against authorities.
Mr. Munroe said the government is also concerned about the situation in Haiti
sparking a mass exodus and as a result efforts are being made to prevent Haitian
nationals illegally entering The Bahamas especially during this time of civil unrest.
He said, “it is proposed that by the 22 nd of December the latest we’ll be deploying
the HMBS Bahamas and the HMBS Nassau 60meter off shore patrol vessels to
patrol offshore and to interdict illegal firearms going into Haiti and to interdict
illegal migrants seeking to leave Haiti. It is for that purpose we are to access the
port in case we have to return migrants to Cape Haitian rather than bringing them
back to The Bahamas.”
In the meantime, Kenya continues to lead the fight against gangs on the ground
especially in their stronghold in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, and nearby areas.
During a visit to the Haiti on September 21 st Kenya’s President William Ruto said he
supported turning the current Kenya-led security mission into a full United Nations
peacekeeping operation that would be better funded. Aside from Kenya a number
countries have together pledged at least 1,900 more troops.
As for free and fair elections in Haiti they are tentatively set for February of 2026,
the first elections since 2016. This after provisional electoral council inclusive of a
wide array of citizens from various sectors has been established to prepare the way
for those elections.