By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis expects another country to step up and lead a mission to stabilise Haiti if Kenya’s court prevents that country from playing the role, noting CARICOM countries lack the “capacity or the wherewithal” to lead the mission.

His comment came after a Kenyan court blocked the country from deploying police officers to Haiti. Kenya’s government said it would appeal the matter.

“In the meantime,” Mr Davis said, “efforts are still being made to assist as we can through the Eminent Persons group, and they are very close, I think, to having some semblance of a pathway to free and fair elections.”

Mr Davis added: “CARICOM, don’t forget it’s not just The Bahamas, CARICOM as a community do not have the capacity and or the wherewithal to respond to Haiti’s crisis on his own. It needs help.”

 “So if it’s not Kenya, there’ll be some other major country that will come in to assist. CARICOM alone cannot do it. If Kenya is not able to because of their legal strictures there are some other country will more likely step in.”

 Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell told reporters Kenya’s government is confident they will win.

 “There have been previous deployments of Kenyan officers overseas in a number of missions,” he said. “So their view is the decision is inexplicable. So the training and planning goes on and we await the outcome of whatever appeal they make.”

 “There are other nations who have volunteered, and well, the Americans are actually leading this, so we’re in touch with them. I think there’s supposed to be a meeting of all of the parties within a couple of weeks.”

 “It’s been more than a year since the government of Haiti requested these troops. The resolution is going to be almost six months old in March or will be six months old in March, and it only has the authority for 12 months. So, you know, time is against us.”

 The Bahamas has committed to sending 150 officers to Haiti as part of a multi-national force to curb the violence in that country. Kenya said it would send 1,000 police officers to lead the force.