NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) says it will create a blockade in the southern Bahamas amid reports that a significant number of inmates had escaped from two prisons in Haiti last weekend.
“We are now taking steps to blockade the southeastern Bahamas using aerial and multiple surface assets. We intend to do so with our regional partners, OPBAT, the United States Coast Guard, and the Cuban Border Patrol, through information and intelligence sharing,” said RBDF Commodore Dr. Raymond King.
“We are taking steps to fortify our position in the southeastern Bahamas to effectively blockade that area to prevent any forced migration coming from Haiti,” he added.
On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating security situation” in Haiti, where the authorities have been forced to impose a curfew and state of emergency as they seek to regain control of the country following last weekend’s security situation that resulted in several inmates being freed by criminal gangs.
“The Secretary-General reiterates the need for urgent action, particularly in providing financial support for the non-UN Multinational Security Support mission, to address the pressing security requirements of the Haitian people and prevent the country from plunging further into chaos,” said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.
Economy and Finance Minister Patrick Michel Boisvert, who is leading the government in the absence of Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry, who is overseas, said that the decree announcing the curfew and the state of emergency takes into account the attacks perpetrated on the night of March 2, by armed gangs against the two largest penitentiary centers in the country.
He said the attacks on the National Penitentiary and the Croix-des-Bouquets Prison have resulted in deaths and injuries among the ranks of the police and prison staff, as well as the escape of dangerous prisoners.
“Considering that these actions endanger national security, the Government of the Republic, referring to the decree of March 3rd, 2024, declaring a state of emergency throughout the West department … and in order to restore order and take appropriate measures to regain control of the situation, decree a curfew throughout this territory Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6, from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.”
The RBDF Commodore said Bahamian officials are concerned that some of the escaped inmates or others may attempt to flee Haiti and head north.
“We are preparing to fend off or intercept any known vessels leaving Haiti en route to The Bahamas,” King added.
Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said the situation in Haiti has “massive implications for The Bahamas’ national security.
“While we join with our partners in CARICOM in calling for a sustainable, collaborative solution for our fellow Caribbean nation, our primary concern remains the safety of Bahamian lives who are most at risk due to persistent unrest in Haiti,” Pintard said.
“We call upon the government to advise of the steps taken to ensure the safety of the Bahamian embassy and its staff in Haiti and to address the security of our borders with a sense of urgency,” the leader of the main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) said.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, at their last summit in Guyana last week, expressed concern at the deteriorating situation in the French-speaking country. Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis told reporters that the situation “is truly a terrible” one, adding, “Haiti is hemorrhaging.”
Last Friday, Kenya and Haiti announced that they had signed an agreement allowing the African country to lead a United Nations Security Council-sanctioned Multinational Security Mission (MSS) to restore peace and security in the country.
Last October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of the MSS to back Haiti’s beleaguered police force, which Kenya offered to lead. A 2022 sanctions regime targeting gang leaders and their financiers was also renewed.
But in January, the Kenya High Court ruled against sending troops to Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Mission (MSS) to restore peace and security in Haiti.
The High Court ruled the deployment, initially expected by January, unconstitutional in the absence of a “reciprocal arrangement” with the host government.
However, according to the “reciprocal arrangement” signed on Friday, Kenya hopes to satisfy the court’s objections to its plan to send 1,000 police officers to Port au Prince.
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