Some leading Republicans have been concerned about the deployment of Kenyan troops to the hemisphere and the vulnerability it presents for fighting terrorist groups on the African continent, and domestically for Kenyan President William Ruto. But Rubio said there were no easy answers for Haiti, warning its prolonged security crisis risks destabilizing the neighboring Dominican Republic and exacerbating regional challenges over historic levels of migration. The new U.S. administration will support the multinational mission, led by Kenya, and will encourage foreign partners to provide police assistance to Haiti, Rubio told senators. “I do think it does begin with stability and security,” Rubio added. ”You’ve got to establish some baseline security, and it’s not going to come from a U.S. military intervention. So, to the extent that we can encourage foreign partners — and I would include foreign partners in the Western Hemisphere, who should be contributing to this effort — to provide some level of stability and security in Haiti, so that you can explore the opportunities to have a a transitional government that has legitimacy that can ultimately lead to the conduct of elections.” “But it’s going to take a long time,” he added, “and I say this with sadness in my heart.” A new contingent of 217 additional police officers from Kenya arrived in Port-au-Prince on Saturday aboard a chartered airplane escorted by the U.S. military, after months of uncertainty about whether President William Ruto would continue to field cops for the struggling mission in Haiti, where gang violence last year reached record levels.

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