WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Haiti to help secure the country amid political fallout from the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, the White House said on Monday.

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Jovenel Moïse

A high-level delegation of U.S. officials spent Sunday on the ground in Port-au-Prince meeting with three men at the center of a power struggle in the country, each claiming to be Haiti’s rightful leader.

The U.S. team briefed President Biden on its initial assessment on Monday morning, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said Haiti’s formal request for the United States to send troops was “still under review.” Asked whether sending troops had been ruled out, she replied: “No.”

The political situation in Haiti lacked clarity, she said.

“What was not clear is what the future of political leadership looks like in the country, and it was a reminder of how vital it is for Haiti’s leaders to come together to chart a united path forward,” Psaki told reporters at a briefing. “This is just the beginning of our conversations.”

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Biden told reporters at an unrelated event on gun violence that “Haiti’s political leaders need to come together for the good of their country.”

Details on additional U.S. assistance would be forthcoming, he said.

The U.S. team met on Sunday with the three politicians seeking to lead Haiti.

Administration officials have privately expressed concern about sending U.S. troops into Haiti during such a murky political moment for the country, and are wary of appearing in favor of one political figure over the others, wanting to avoid exacerbating the crisis.

Two letters sent by the Haitian government in the immediate aftermath of Moïse’s assassination requested troops from the United States and United Nations to help secure the Caribbean country’s sea, air and oil ports, as well as its elections infrastructure.

The White House previously said it was sending FBI and DHS officials to help investigate what happened at a suburban home outside Haiti’s capital in the early hours of Wednesday, when gunmen stormed Moïse’s residence, killing him and wounding his wife.

In the aftermath of the assassination, the Biden administration has been working with Claude Joseph, the acting prime minister, who requested the assistance. But Moïse’s killing opened a power struggle in Port-au-Prince that has grown increasingly complex.

Ariel Henry, who was appointed prime minister by Moïse shortly before his death, claims that he is the head of government. The Biden administration referred to Henry as “prime minister-designate” on Monday.

A third Haitian politician, Joseph Lambert, is also now asserting himself into the fray. Lambert, the current head of the Senate, was voted provisional president by his fellow senators days ago, but an announced swearing in of him as interim president was aborted.

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