Biden is honoring Kenya with state visit as the East African nation prepares to send police to Haiti

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House for a three-day state visit and designating the East African nation a major non-NATO ally as it prepares to deploy forces to Haiti as part of U.N.-led effort to address the security crisis in the Caribbean country.

Some 1,000 Kenyan police officers are set to arrive soon in Haiti, part of a multilateral security support mission that aims to help quell gang violence. Other countries expected to back up Kenyan forces include the Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Bangladesh.

The largely symbolic designation by Biden was described by two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview an announcement that will come later during Ruto’s state visit, which began with a White House meeting Wednesday afternoon with American and Kenyan tech leaders.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off this visit,” Biden said at the start of the leaders' meeting with tech executives. “Our people have brought us forward and pioneered new technologies that are transforming millions of lives. I mean, literally millions of lives. And we’re going to go beyond that.”

But looming large over the visit is the deployment of Kenyan forces to Haiti.

The United States for years has partnered with Kenya on counterterrorism efforts in Africa, including battling the extremist group al-Shabab. Kenya has participated in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and an international maritime task force launched by the Biden administration in December in response to Houthi attacks against vessels operating in the Red Sea.

Ruto's decision to send police forces to Haiti was welcomed by Biden administration officials as an unprecedented undertaking and a show of global leadership by Kenya.

The U.S. is “firmly committed to supporting” the Kenyan deployment, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, and appreciative of the “strong, principled, consistent stance” the country has taken in backing Ukraine.

Kenya is the first African nation since 2008 to be honored by the U.S. with a state visit.

Ruto, who also met with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol, said he would look to use the visit in part to share his concerns about the challenges caused by heavy debt loads in Kenya and across Africa.

Kenya’s debt-to-GDP ratio tops 70%, with much of it owed to China. Credit ratings agency Fitch estimates it will spend almost one-third of its government revenues just on interest payments this year. Ruto said the talks will address “how we can have a fairer international financial system where all countries are treated equally.”

Sullivan said the visit would include announcements from the leaders on ”how the international community can step up to mitigate the mounting burden of debt and unleash inclusive growth.”

Biden and Ruto will hold formal talks and a joint news conference on Thursday before a state dinner. Ruto is also set to participate Friday in an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The U.S. and Kenya are marking their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. White House officials said the leaders' agenda will include trade and investment, technological innovation, climate and clean energy, health and security.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the two countries would announce “substantial commitments" to elevate Kenya's technological sector. Kenya hosts Google and Microsoft offices and has positioned itself as the technology hub of East Africa, known as the Silicon Savannah.

“I think we have a historic moment to explore investment opportunities between Kenya and the United States,” Ruto said. “And my being here today is a confirmation that we are moving from ideas into action and from opportunities into investments and hopefully we will be able to sign off some of those investments."

Biden gathered dozens of African leaders in Washington in December 2022 to make the case that the United States under his watch was “all in" on Africa’s future and laid out billions in promised government funding and private investment on the continent in health, infrastructure, business and technology. The Democrat also promised to visit sub-Saharan Africa in 2023.

But other priorities got in the way last year, including the Israel-Hamas war and Biden's long battle with Republicans to renew funding for Ukraine in its war with Russia. The promised visit to Africa by Biden never materialized. Biden, who faces a tough reelection battle in November, said in an exchange with reporters as Ruto arrived at the White House that he still plans to go to Africa.

“I plan on going in February after I’m reelected,” Biden said.

All the while, Russia has tried to expand its economic and military influence across Africa. U.S. troops were recently ordered out of Niger by the West African country’s ruling junta and are expected to complete their withdrawal by the middle of September. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed military trainers to Niger.

The United States has also fallen well behind rival China in investment in Africa, which has become a key battleground in the competition between the major powers.

Biden and his aides say they expect stiff economic competition with Beijing in Africa, but have sought to make the case that Washington is a far more reliable partner in Africa for the long-term.

To that end, Biden acted early in his presidency to devote more attention on Africa than his most recent predecessors, including by hosting nearly 50 leaders for the U.S.-Africa leaders summit in December 2022. But since the summit, analysts say, the administration's engagement has trailed off.

Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Program, noted that that Biden has hosted just one African leader, Angola President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, for talks at the White House since the summit.

“This visit today feels a bit like a fig leaf, not just for the Kenyans but for Africa in general, and a kind of a placeholder for the administration to say: All of those things that we said early on in the administration, they all remain true,” Hudson said.

Ruto is looking to use the visit to bolster his standing on the world stage and he believes sending Kenyan police to Haiti will go a long way toward that broader goal, said Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the United States International University-Africa.

“Ruto would like to be recognized, particularly in the West as the leader of the Africans. And this kind of recognition boosts that desire,” Munene said.

Ruto has said that with the mission to Haiti, Kenya's aim is to “formulate actionable strategies that will lead to long-term solutions” in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. Haiti has endured poverty, political instability and natural disasters for decades. The U.S. has agreed to provide the U.N.-backed mission direct financial assistance along with training, logistical and material support.

But Ruto's plan to involve Kenyan police in a crisis thousands of miles away has also been met with some opposition in Nairobi, including legal challenges aimed at blocking the deployment of police forces and long-standing concerns over alleged abuses by police.

Associated Press writers Evelyne Musambi in Nairobi, Kenya, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Seung Min Kim aboard Air Force One and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden and Kenya's President William Ruto meet with business leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden welcomes Kenya's President William Ruto to the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

First lady Jill Biden, center, greets Kenya's President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto, at right in green, as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto, right, and first lady Rachel Ruto, second from left, arrive as first Lady Jill Biden, left, looks on at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden, center in yellow, walks with Kenya's first lady Rachel Ruto, at left in green, as she and Kenya's President William Ruto, not shown, arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto, center, and first Lady Jill Biden, right, talk during an arrival ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, during President Ruto's state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a State Visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden stands, center yellow, stands with Kenya's President William Ruto during the American national anthem at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, during President Ruto's state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden, center in yellow, walks with Kenya's first lady Rachel Ruto, at left in green, as she and Kenya's President William Ruto, not shown, arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto, center, and first lady Rachel Ruto, second from left, arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States as first Lady Jill Biden, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden, center, talks to flower presenters after Kenya's President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto, center, and first lady Rachel Ruto, right, pose for a picture upon their arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States as first lady Jill Biden, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden, center, greets Kenya's President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto, center right, as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a State Visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Kenya's President William Ruto, right, and first lady Rachel Ruto arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

First lady Jill Biden, center, greets Kenya's President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto, at right in green, as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for a state visit to the United States. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Friends and family accompany the coffin that contain the remains of Jhon-Roselet Joseph, killed by a stray bullet during clashes between police, and gang members who were trying to invade the Solino neighborhood, during a funeral procession in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, May 18, 2024 (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Kenya President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto, right, pause at the Eternal Flame with Bernice King, center, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., during a visit to the King Center Monday, May 20, 2024, in Atlanta. The gravesite of King and his wife Coretta Scott King are in the background. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Kenya President William Ruto pauses after laying a wreath at the tombs of Martin Luther King Jr., and Corett Scott King, during a visit to the King Center Monday, May 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's military announced on Sunday that it would pause fighting during daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to free up a backlog of humanitarian aid deliveries for desperate Palestinians enduring a humanitarian crisis sparked by the war, now in its ninth month.

The “tactical pause," which applies to about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) of road in the Rafah area, falls far short of a complete cease-fire in the beleaguered territory that has been sought by the international community, including Israel's top ally, the United States. The limited halt in fighting could help address some of the overwhelming needs of Palestinians that have surged in recent weeks with Israel's incursion into Rafah.

The army said the pause would begin at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and last until 7 p.m. (1600 GMT). It said the pauses would be daily until further notice.

The pause is aimed at allowing aid trucks to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point for aid, and travel safely to the Salah a-Din highway, a main north-south road, the military said. The crossing has had a bottleneck since Israeli ground troops moved into Rafah in early May.

COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza, said the route would increase the flow of aid to other parts of Gaza, including Khan Younis, the coastal area of Muwasi and central Gaza. Hard-hit northern Gaza, an early target in the war, is being served by goods entering from a crossing in the north.

The military said the pause Sunday, which begins as Muslims start marking the major Eid Al-Adha holiday, came after discussions with the United Nations and international aid agencies.

Following criticism of the move by ultranationalists in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, who oppose a halt in the war, the military said fighting is not being paused in the rest of southern Gaza and there is no change regarding the entry of aid in general.

Aid agencies, including the U.N., did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The pause comes as Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a cease-fire, a plan that was detailed by President Joe Biden in the administration’s most concentrated diplomatic push for a halt to the fighting and the release of hostages taken by the militant group. While Biden described the proposal as an Israeli one, Israel has not fully embraced it. Hamas has demanded changes that appear unacceptable to Israel.

The fighting continues unabated. Israel announced the names Sunday of 11 soldiers killed in recent attacks in Gaza. That puts the number of soldiers killed since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza last year at 308. Hamas killed 1,200 people during its Oct. 7 attack and took 250 hostage, Israeli authorities say. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Israel’s military offensive against Hamas has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, with the U.N. reporting widespread hunger and hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine. The international community has urged Israel to do more to allow aid to flow.

Another crossing, the Rafah terminal between Gaza and Egypt, has been closed since Israel moved into the city. Hamas' supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on Sunday called for more pressure to open border crossings into Gaza. Egypt has refused to reopen the Rafah crossing as long as Israel controls the Palestinian side in Gaza.

From May 6 until June 6, the U.N. received an average of 68 trucks of aid a day, according to figures from the U.N. humanitarian office. That was down from 168 a day in April and far below the 500 trucks a day that aid groups say are needed.

The flow of aid in southern Gaza declined just as need grew. More than 1 million Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced, fled Rafah after the invasion, crowding into other parts of southern and central Gaza. Most now languish in tent camps, using trenches as latrines, with open sewage in the streets.

COGAT says there are no restrictions on the entry of trucks. It says more than 8,600 trucks of all kinds, both aid and commercial, entered Gaza from all crossings from May 2 to June 13, an average of 201 a day. But much of that aid has piled up at crossings and not reached its final destination.

A spokesman for COGAT, Shimon Freedman, said it was the U.N.’s fault that its cargos stacked up on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom. He said its agencies have “fundamental logistical problems that they have not fixed,” especially a lack of trucks.

The U.N. denies such allegations. It says the fighting between Israel and Hamas often makes it too dangerous for U.N. trucks inside Gaza to travel to Kerem Shalom. It also says the pace of deliveries has been slowed because the Israeli military must authorize drivers to travel to the site, a system Israel says was designed for the drivers’ safety.

Due to a lack of security, aid trucks in some cases have been looted by crowds as they moved along Gaza’s roads.

The new arrangement aims to reduce the need for coordinating deliveries by providing an 11-hour uninterrupted window each day for trucks to move in and out of the crossing.

It was not immediately clear whether the army would provide security to protect the aid trucks moving along the highway.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KHAN YOUNIS - Palestinians collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KHAN YOUNIS - Palestinian men collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KHAN YOUNIS - Palestinian children collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KHAN YOUNIS - Palestinians collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian boy watches his portion of food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KHAN YOUNIS - A Palestinian girl reacts as she collects food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian girl reacts as she collects food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian men collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian children collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians collect food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A Palestinian boy watches his portion of food aid ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)