Defense contracts disclose American preparation for a multinational force in Haiti, even including items like toothbrushes and WiFi.
The Multinational Security Support mission, often called the MSS, aims to help local police in fighting against the gangs that have taken over Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Although there have been delays, the Kenyan-led mission is expected to begin in Haiti soon.
The United States has backed the mission, promising to provide millions of dollars of funding and resources, though not sending troops. Contracts posted on a US General Services Administration website by the Defense Department (DOD) show just how involved the US is in equipping the multinational security team - from security for their still-to-be-constructed base to everyday items like toothbrushes and internet.
The DOD published a contract opportunity on May 21 for internet service providers who could support around 1,400 users in Haiti. On the same day, other contracts were also posted, advertising opportunities for vendors to provide personal items like shampoo, toothbrushes, lotions, and bedding for 1,300 people in Haiti.
As preparations continue, US security contractors have already deployed to Haiti, numbering around 150 as of now. According to a source, the DOD has also granted a $30 million contract to GardaWorld Federal Services LLC for private security and protection services in Haiti for contractors building the mission base.
GardaWorld, a Canadian company that offers logistical, medical, and security services to various clients, stated that they were tasked with guarding the facility in Haiti. The firm has previously been involved in protecting US diplomatic facilities in Afghanistan; however, this role is the subject of an ongoing court case brought by a former employee, Justin Fahn, who claims in a whistleblower lawsuit that the company misled the US about its employees' training. GardaWorld denies these accusations.
A Pentagon spokesperson told CNN that some details about the mission cannot be shared at this time, "beyond the contract information made publicly available on the sam.gov platform."
The long-awaited mission
Gang violence in Haiti has made daily life difficult for civilians, restricting their access to necessities like food, water, and fuel. Armed groups control vast areas of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, leading to the closure of the international airport. However, in mid-May, commercial flights began operating again.
Constructed close to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital city, the MSS base is expected to be created from the five new structures and cleared land at the airport's eastern end, as seen in satellite images from May 20.
US President Joe Biden has pledged $300 million for the mission and an extra $60 million for equipment, saying that the US would provide logistics, intelligence, and equipment, with some equipment already arriving in Haiti. Biden explained why the US isn't sending boots on the ground, stating that they "want to do everything we can without... looking like America is stepping in and deciding what must be done."
The mission will be led by a Kenyan police commissioner and a Jamaican police lieutenant, with other senior positions held by Kenyan staff. Participation in the mission has also been promised by the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica.
May 23 was the unofficial target date for having a contingent on the ground, but the deployment has been delayed after a Kenyan delegation found that the available equipment was insufficient, particularly worrying about the readiness of helicopters for medical evacuation.
The MSS was approved last year by the United Nations Security Council to aid the Haitian National Police in combatting gang violence and bringing stability to the Caribbean nation, following a request for military intervention from its government. However, police unions and law enforcement sources in Haiti have expressed concerns about a lack of planning for how the foreign force will work with local law enforcement.
We have reached out to the Haitian National Police for comment on the postponement of the mission and its preparations in Haiti.
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The United States is also providing internet services for the estimated 1,400 users in Haiti, as revealed in a contract published by the DOD on May 21. Moreover, American companies have been contracted to provide personal items like shampoo, toothbrushes, lotions, and bedding for over 1,300 people involved in the mission.
