US, Kenya Sign Defense Deal

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Facts

  • The US and Kenya on Monday signed a defense agreement that will provide resources and support for security deployments in East Africa. As part of the agreement, Kenya has volunteered to lead an international mission to Haiti, where strife has been prevalent.1
  • US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Kenya's Defense Minister Aden Duale signed the agreement in Nairobi. The agreement aims to intensify defense cooperation for the next five years as Kenya fights al-Shabab.2
  • Austin thanked Kenya for pledging to send 1K security officers to Haiti to combat gang violence on a mission that is awaiting UN Security Council approval. And he assured Duale that the Biden administration would work with Congress to secure the $100M in funding it pledged on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.3
  • After approval by parliament, Kenyan police officers from specialized units of the Administrative Police will depart for Haiti in the next few months to help stabilize the country, taking control over Port-au-Prince and other towns from armed gangs.4
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week urged the UN Security Council to approve the international mission in Haiti, which he said would be ready to deploy 'in months.' He also urged other countries to provide additional funding, personnel, and other resources.1
  • Austin's three-nation tour of Kenya, Djibouti, and Angola runs through Thursday to boost US ties in Africa.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Associated Press, 3Voa, 4The east african and 5Zawya.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Army technology. Although this deal focuses on Nairobi's efforts to fight al-Shabaab, it also enhances Kenya's role on the global geopolitical stage by elevating Nairobi to a leadership role in the international mission to stabilize violence-plagued Haiti. The US and Kenya are strengthening their partnership, which will make the world safer.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Allafrica.com. There are concerns about the legitimacy of any foreign intervention in Haiti, which is on the minds of human rights advocates and security analysts alike. All eyes will be on this mission as Kenyan forces enter a Caribbean nation that has a painful legacy of colonization and imperial intervention.