A SLIGHTLY curious note has entered the discussion over how best to respond to the situation in Haiti.

Repeatedly, there are comments that what is needed is a “Haitian solution”.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said as much again yesterday.

He said: “We think it should be a Haitian solution, that the Haitian people and those who are the leaders in the Haitian community ought to get together to determine their solution to the Haitian situation.”

That sounds all well and good, except that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has already called for one solution – and no one seems to be offering what he has asked for.

In October, Mr Henry and 18 other top-ranking officials signed a document authorizing Mr Henry to request “the immediate deployment of a specialised armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the crisis in the country, particularly the “criminal actions of armed gangs”.

Mr Henry went on to ask for such a force, a call echoed by the UN envoy to Haiti, Helen La Lime.

So when Mr Davis said yesterday that there is no appetite to send such a force, what Haitian solution is being considered if the one put forward by the nation’s Prime Minister is being rejected?

Perhaps Mr Henry has changed his mind since October? Not so. Last week, Mr Henry reiterated his request for such a force.

In fact, while Mr Davis says “I don’t know that there’s any appetite for any of the superpowers or anyone to put boots on the ground at this time”, Jamaica has reaffirmed it would take part in such a force and US Vice President Kamala Harris last week renewed the push for a multi-national intervention.

So if the Prime Minister is asking for such a force and it’s not being given to him, whose solution are we listening to?

According to Mr Davis, we are trying to assist the Haitian police. We cannot help the nation’s defence force – as that disbanded years ago. And we cannot ask the nation’s elected representatives what they want – because all the terms have lapsed.

So it is to the police we are turning – some of whom were protesting to such an extent that it prompted the withdrawal of our diplomats from Haiti – airlifted out to the Dominican Republic and not returned since.

Mr Davis said: “At the moment, we are suggesting that the mechanism will be providing the resources, assisting in recruitment, assisting them in training and ensuring that they’re able to execute their jobs. And so that is the first line of initiative that has been discussed. We’re hoping that boots on the ground will not be necessary, and I don’t know that there’s any appetite for any of the superpowers or anyone to put boots on the ground at this time.”

We seem to be no nearer a solution from the talks held in Jamaica either – Mr Davis noting that there has been a lot of tension, “a lot of issues and many of them are very far apart”.

Politically, it is likely there is little eagerness for committing troops to an area with no clear local leadership, an uncertain mission and no definite end date for withdrawal.

Already, police in Haiti have suffered a deadly toll. Leaders around the region will not be wanting to see their own forces arriving home in body bags.

So where does this leave Haiti? Mr Henry’s voice seems like it is being ignored – or at least not answered – and there is a lack of definite leadership elsewhere.

Haiti is in a desperate mess – but if we really mean it when we say we want Haitian solutions, we probably ought to have a better answer for why we are ignoring its Prime Minister’s plea.