Protest New Invasion of Haiti by US-backed Kenyan Police Force

Haiti Action Committee condemns the arrival of 400 Kenyan police officers in Haiti on Tuesday, June 25th, as the advance force for the US-funded invasion to prop up and “stabilize” the repressive US-installed PHTK (Haitian Party of Tet Kale) regime. Even though PHTK leader Ariel Henry was forced out of power this past spring, the PHTK remains in control, dominating a newly-installed “transitional presidential council,” thanks to US intervention. For this new invasion, the Biden Administration is providing $300 million, including weapons and equipment in the form of 80 humvees, sniper rifles, riot control gear and more.

Although the US claims that the invasion is necessary to quell “gang violence” in Haiti, the “gangs,” more accurately understood as paramilitary death squads, have flourished under PHTK rule as part of the regime’s war on the popular movement. It was the US-backed coup against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004 and the subsequent US/ UN occupation of Haiti that created the conditions for this paramilitary violence to ravage Haiti. Calling for yet another US-backed invasion and occupation of Haiti is akin to asking arsonists to put out their own fire.

Haiti Action Committee likewise stands in full solidarity with the people of Kenya and their courageous protests against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed austerity measures that the corrupt regime of President William Ruto has attempted to impose.

We condemn the brutal police repression against these protests, resulting in the injuries of hundreds and the killings of demonstrators on June 25th. The people of Kenya and Haiti have a common enemy: neo-colonial dictatorships, supported by US tax dollars, that dutifully carry out IMF measures, as when PHTK leader Ariel Henry eliminated the fuel subsidy in October 2022, leading to a massive spike in hunger. Revered Kenyan author and social activist Ngugi wa Thiong’o made these connections in his Open Letter to William Ruto, first published on May 30th in PM News Nigeria [https://haitisolidarity.net/an-open-letter-to-william-ruto/].

Let us build on the momentum of recent actions to intensify our solidarity in this moment when it is needed more than ever!