Caribbean Round-Up: Grenada establishing national security council

Caribbean 

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) recently announced plans to expand its operations into the Caribbean that it says highlights its relationship with and commitment to the Caribbean region.

CAF executive president, Sergio Díaz-Granados, speaking at the launch of the Report on Economics and Development, entitled “Inherited Inequalities: The Role of Skills, Employment and Wealth in the Opportunities of New Generations,” said the relationship would extend beyond the current shareholder countries of Barbados, T&T and Jamaica.

“We are also reaching out to the rest of Caricom (Caribbean Community) to bring them into our CAF family,” he said, noting that the Venezuela-based CAF is the main development partner for T&T with a portfolio estimated at nearly US$1 billion.“We plan to deepen our work there and expand across the region complimenting the work of the Caribbean Development Bank, the IDB (Inter American Development Bank) and the other partner institutions.“The objective is to address the financial needs of our stakeholders as best as possible, facilitating progress and improved quality of life for all Caribbean people through concrete action.” Díaz-Granados, said last November, the CAF launched its regional office for the Caribbean in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and “we are working on setting up an office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean islands.

“This is because bringing the Caribbean closer to CAF is a priority. We are committed to doing our part to channel resources to our shareholder countries, protect Caribbean citizens from hurricanes, flu and drugs and to preserve natural capital.”

Grenada

Prime Minister Dr Dickon Mitchell says his administration will be establishing a national security council that will be tasked with formulating strategies and policies to safeguard citizens.

Mitchell said the Cabinet had taken a significant step towards enhancing our approach to safety and national security by establishing a national security council steering committee comprising dedicated and skilled individuals from various sectors.

“It will be required to create and implement a comprehensive national security policy and strategy for Grenada that will underscore the country’s security goals and priorities.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged that recently they have seen an increase in episodes of violence and while law enforcement may be paramount to promoting law and order, securing the safety of communities and country requires an integrated approach. He noted that given the importance of a collaborative approach to ensuring the collective safety and security of all Grenadians, a series of consultations will be held a throughout the Tri-Island state gathering insight fro citizens.

He added that discussions would be held with non-governmental organizations, law enforcement and the prison authorities as well as the labour and trade unions, the business and private sector, health sector workers, to obtain their input in the development of a comprehensive national security plan to ensure that Grenada remains a safe, secure and stable society.

Haiti

Haitians are expressing skepticism over an offer by Kenya to lead an international police force aimed at combating the gang violence that has wracked the Caribbean nation.

They say sexual abuse and a devastating cholera outbreak that have accompanied foreign forces in the past decades don’t inspire much trust. But Haitians also say uncontrolled bloodshed in their country leaves them with few other options.

One person recalled, that while past international interventions have damaged Haiti, their abuses don’t compare to the brutality of gangs, which kidnap students and force parents to pay hefty ransoms.

After Prime Minister Ariel Henry urged the world last October to deploy an armed force to fight gangs, the United Nations has struggled to convince a nation to lead efforts to restore the order in the Caribbean country. As the search continued, gang warfare continued to worsen, leading to a wave of kidnappings and the emergence of vigilante forces taking justice into their own hands. Currently, armed gangs control an estimated 80% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Kenya has offered to send 1,000 police officers to help train and assist an overwhelmed Haitian police force, saying it hopes to “restore normalcy in the country”. However, the United States said it will be put forward a resolution to the U.N. Security Council to authorise the force.

Haiti’s prime minister said that he spoke with Kenya President William Ruto to thank Kenya for the “demonstration of fraternal solidarity.” Henry and Kenya plans to send a task force very soon to assess the mission’s operational requirements.

Jamaica

Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Dr Carla Barnett has congratulated Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Jamaica’s celebration of 61 years of independence from British rule.

Dr Barnett in a statement said, “the community is extremely grateful for your stewardship and guidance in the Quasi-Cabinet of the Caricom Heads of Government as Lead Head with responsibility for advancing our external trade relations, including negotiation.”

“We particularly appreciate your commitment to the Community’s action in support of our sister Caricom Member State, Haiti.”

Jamaica’s willingness to host the first consultations between the Caribbean-appointes Eminent Persons Group (EPG) and Haitian stakeholders q underscores a longstanding commitment to regional peace and security.

Dr Barnett added that Caricom is confident of continued progress in Jamaica in years to come and reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to “work assiduously alongside you and your Government to realise your aspirations for integrating our beloved Caribbean Community.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in congratulating Jamaica, said America was honoured to work with that country to find solutions to pressing regional challenges.

St Lucia

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Chief Executive Officer Sultan Al-Marshad, signed the SFD’s first development loan agreement worth US$75 million with the Prime Minister of St Lucia Philip Joseph Pierre. This is to fund reconstruction and rehabilitation of At Jude Hospital.

SFD’s development loan will help to provide an integrated medical care to St Lucia’s population,.

The project will also renovate several of its wings and sub-buildings, and as part of this development. The hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that will help to deliver excellent healthcare services to St Lucia’s population.

PM Pierre said, “Today, we are one step closer to making amends to the people of St Lucia, particularly to the people of the South of the island, by securing funding for the reconstruction of the St Jude Hospital.

Fund CEO Sultan Al-Marshad said, “Today’s agreement signifies an important step in the development cooperation between both countries. The project to reconstruct and rehabilitate At Jude Hospital will not only empower local communities, but contribute towards strengthening the health sector’s capacity to cater to the requirements of St Lucia’s residents, and the surrounding areas.”

St Vincent and the Grenadines 

St Vincent and the Grenadines government has held talks with the Egypt-based Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to make Kingstown a logistic hub.

Afreximbank recently opened its Caricom branch office in Barbados at an event attended by several Caribbean Community leaders including Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonzales.

“We’ve discussed extensively the plans to make this country a major logistics hub in terms of development and redeployment of port, development of industrial parks and extension of cruiseship handling capacities,” Afreximbank president, Professor Benedict Oramah said at a conference with Mr Gonsalves.

Oramah said that the head of the Barbados office will visit St Vincent and the Grenadines for talks with the private sector “so that the businesses will know the programs and facilities that are available to them.”

He added, “We are also hoping that the instruments we have used to support the development and redevelopment of hotels, tourism facilities and other services that are important to the islands here. So, we are looking forward to a very exciting next few years not only in supporting the economics but promoting trade and investment between the continent of Africa and the Caribbean.”

The announcement comes as the government is constructing an EC$600 million seaport in Kingstown, due to be completed by 2025.

Prime Minister Gonsalves told reporters that it is well established that Africa and the Caribbean have had shared experiences, adding that these experiences “have to be translated into shared expressions, including institutional expressions of different kinds.”

He said that Africa and the Caricom have been doing several things in the political sphere, diplomatically and institutionally.