WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Sunday it carried out an operation in Haiti to airlift non-essential embassy personnel from the country and added U.S. forces to strengthen embassy security as the nation Caribbean is reeling in a state of emergency.
The operation was the latest sign of Haiti’s troubles as gang violence threatens to topple the government and has led thousands of people to flee their homes.
“This airlift of personnel in and out of the embassy is consistent with our standard practice for enhancing the security of embassies around the world, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft,” the Command said in a statement southern US Army.
Haiti entered a state of emergency late Sunday after fighting intensified while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Nairobi seeking a deal for the long-delayed U.N.-backed mission.
Kenya announced last year that it would lead the force, but months of internal legal wrangling effectively put the mission on hold.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto about the Haiti crisis and that the two men emphasized their commitment to a multinational security mission to restore order.
The Southern Command statement said Washington remains committed to achieving these goals.
“Our embassy remains focused on advancing the U.S. Government’s efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, accelerating the deployment of the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission Unite and accelerate a peaceful transition of power through free tools and fair elections,” he said.