HOW U.S. HIJACKED HAITI'S DEMOCRACY

Kenya's controversial policing mission to Haiti - launched mid-last year at the bidding of the US - has so far failed in its stated goal of bringing the island's rampant gang problem under control. And while Nairobi claims to be acting out of pan-African solidarity, in reality, it's providing a Black face for the latest round of imperialist meddling in the Caribbean nation.

It's a story that goes back decades, with regime-change operations initiated as early as 1919, when American forces killed Charlemagne Masséna Péralte for resisting their invasion of the island. In subsequent years, Washington kept a close eye on Haiti and deposed progressive leaders such as Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who wanted to raise the minimum wage and demanded reparations from France for forcing Port-au-Prince to pay enslavers for their 'loss' when Haiti became the world's first free Black republic. The US also supported the dictatorships of 'Papa Doc' Duvalier and his son 'Baby Doc.'

The tragic tale spans into the 21st century. We sat down with Haitian academic Dr Jemima Pierre to make sense of exactly how America has maintained control over Haiti's democratic process, flipping the results when they didn't go Washington's way.