By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said a voluntary withdrawal order for Bahamians in Haiti does not apply to defence force officers who are part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, in a voice note, said last week that Bahamian defence force officers and other citizens in Haiti had been given a voluntary withdrawal order, allowing them to leave the country without government approval if they felt unsafe.

Yesterday, Mr Munroe said this only applies to Ministry of Foreign Affairs workers.

“Defence Force marines and officers who are there as a part of the MSSM mission, he’s not speaking about that,” he said, referring to the United Nations Multinational Security Support Mission.
“He is talking about the people in the embassy and those personnel. We do have defence force officers in the embassy. The current Charge d’Affaires is a defence force officer. They’re the ones who can say this is too dangerous for embassy activities and close the embassy.”

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has so far deployed six officers as part of the United Nations Multinational Security Support Mission. The government has committed 150 officers to the mission.

Their roles include securing ports for humanitarian aid, conducting maritime patrols to prevent illegal migration, and working with regional partners to support stability in Haiti. The officers are scheduled to serve a six-month term.

Bahamasair flights to Haiti have been halted after a recent security incident. 

Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue suspended flights to Port-au-Prince after a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale was struck by gunfire while attempting to land. The plane was forced to divert to Santiago, Dominican Republic, where it landed safely, though a flight attendant sustained minor injuries.