US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is slated to travel Monday to Kingston, Jamaica as part of a meeting convened by the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as Haiti spirals into lawlessness.
Blinken will discuss a proposed partnership between CARICOM and Haitian stakeholders to help bring about a political transition in Haiti through the creation of an independent presidential college that is broad-based, as well as the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenya to address the ongoing security crisis.
Additionally, Blinkin will meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness to talk about bilateral and regional issues as well as reaffirm strong ties between Jamaica and the United States.
According to ABC News, Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been under increased pressure to either resign his position or agree to a transitional council, both of which he has been resistant to accepting.
"If Ariel Henry resigns, we are going to call for a truce just to evaluate the situation," Jimmy Chérizier told ABC News.
Chérizier, commonly known as "Barbecue," called it a public pledge.
"Everywhere around Port-au-Prince that is currently blocked or inaccessible will be reopened and we will automatically stop the attacks on the police stations," he said.
Henry is virtually locked out of his own company as gangs led by Barbeque, the nickname of a gang leader who has consolidated rival gangs into a single force, continue to wreak havoc in the capital of Port-au-Prince and across the country.
It is not clear whether Henry, who was last in Puerto Rico, would attend the meeting.
"The international community must work together with Haitians towards a peaceful political transition," U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Nichols will attend the meeting.
CARICOM said in a statement on Friday announcing the urgent meeting in Jamaica that while "we are making considerable progress, the stakeholders are not yet where they need to be."
The rule of law appears to have completely crumbled as gangs attacked police stations, raided two large prisons, and closed the main international airport.
Food and water and dwindling and 15,000 are reportedly homeless after fleeing communities that have been raided by gangs. Additionally, the main port is closed and dozens of containers containing critical supplies are inaccessible.
Kenya had signaled it was willing to lead a UN-backed deployment of a police force largely manned by its troops but that measure has been delayed by a court ruling that says such deployment is against Kenya's constitution.
Henry has made no public statements since the attacks began.
The U.N. Security Council on Monday urged Haiti's gangs "to immediately cease their destabilizing actions."
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for the urgent deployment of the multinational force and that the mission be adequately funded, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Currently, funding is at only $10.8 million, with officials in Kenya demanding more than $230 million.
