ST. KITTS & NEVIS SECURITY FORCES DEPLOY TO ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA IN SUPPORT OF CHOGM 2026

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — A contingent of twenty-one (21) members of the Federation’s
security forces has deployed to Antigua and Barbuda to support security operations for the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which takes place in St. John’s from November 1st to 4th, 2026. Antigua and Barbuda is the smallest nation ever to host CHOGM, a historic moment not only for our sister state but for the entire Eastern Caribbean.

The contingent comprises fourteen (14) soldiers of the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF), three from the Coast Guard and eleven from the infantry; and seven (7) officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), deployed with two police motorcycles. The security convoy departed from the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport on October 29th, 2026.

CHOGM 2026 brings together leaders of the Commonwealth’s fifty-six (56) member nations under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.” His Majesty King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, will address the opening ceremony. St. Kitts and Nevis’s contingent joins regional and international partners supporting the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force in delivering a safe and secure summit.

For the men and women of the RSCNPF and SKNDF, this deployment is a mark of honour. The professionalism, discipline and intelligence-led approach that have helped the Federation achieve historic reductions in serious crime, including an 84 percent decline in firearm-related homicides in 2025, will now serve the region at one of the highest levels of international diplomacy. When the Caribbean hosts the world, the Caribbean stands together, and St. Kitts and Nevis is proud to stand with Antigua and Barbuda.

The RSCNPF and SKNDF extend congratulations to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda on their 45 th anniversary of independence on November 1st, and best wishes for asuccessful CHOGM 2026.

— 30 —