US and Kenya sign defense agreement ahead of planned Haiti deployment

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The U.S. and Kenya have signed a defense agreement that will see the East African nation get resources and support for security deployments as it is poised to lead a multi-national peacekeeping mission to Haiti to combat gang violence. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Kenya’s Defense Minister Aden Duale have signed in Nairobi. The agreement guides the countries’ defense relations for the next five years as the war in East Africa against the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab extremist group intensifies. Austin thanked Kenya for volunteering to take the leadership of the Haiti multi-national force.