Belize’s troops continue to await deployment to Haiti

While the Belize Defence Force (BDF) has already deployed two troops to Haiti, there is still no date when the additional troops will be sent to join the Kenyan security mission. Earlier this year, 31 BDF soldiers and 20 members of the Belize Coast Guard were sent to Jamaica to train for deployment to Haiti. The efforts are part of a multi-national exercise geared at restoring peace in Haiti, where several areas have been taken over by gangs. However, while the men have undergone the peacekeeping training there is no concrete date set for possible deployment. Today, BDF Commander Azariel Loria explained that there is still uncertainty on when additional BDF troops will be sent to the island nation. 

BGen Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “The two of them they were deployed, it was we call it like a mini advance party. Just two soldiers, two officers and they are currently serving as staff officers in the CARICOM Joint Task Force. It’s a headquarters that is led by Jamaica. There are some countries that have said that they will be sending their troops like the Bahamas. I think Barbados under the RSS is coordinating something to that effect and us so we have two and they are feeding us information on what is going on on the ground. And based on that and if we manage to get our kit and equipment,  because we’re still procuring kit and equipment, we will deploy until the conditions are favorable for us to do so. And that is a signal that I will need to provide to the Ministry of National Defense, the Minister of course will be telling cabinet yes we are ready and we deploy. But we have to ensure that we are fully kitted, we understand what the situation is on the ground, we will have our caveats on what they can do, what kinds of operations will be conducted on the ground etc.”

Reporter: So there’s no set date or anything like that ? 

BGen Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “No we don’t have a set date as yet. It could be tomorrow, it could be January, it could be February but as soon as we are ready then we will have that signal to the Ministry of National Defense.”

One of the concerns raised among soldiers scheduled for deployment has been the allowances they will receive. Loria says that while he understands the concerns of soldiers, he believes that the men should be grateful given the circumstances he faced as a young soldier. 

BGen Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “Let me tell you an anecdote of me using me as an example. I really don’t want to do it but then I will tel you what, and it’s a bunch of us, a platoon of us that deployed back in ’94 and then we had rotations all that we were provided in terms of allowances per diem was $5 a day. $5 US dollars a day to deploy in a hostile situation and we deployed under chapter 7 of the UN operations so we were allowed to use our weapons deadly force as the case may be, $5. We did it. I did it because I wanted experience. The soldiers wanted the experience and we did it from heart, from the willingness to serve going there to Haiti and tried to make a difference. Now the allowances that the will be provided, the soldiers, the thirty or so that will be deploying they are going to get $50 US dollars a day plus the allowances you have. $50 US dollars a day plus what you have got mentioned about the risk and hardship allowance in addition to the $50 so you could do the math.”

According to the government, the primary objective of the mission would be to assist in the installation of a new and legitimate Haitian government.