Approximately 70 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members were deployed to Jamaica on Friday to train Caribbean military personnel heading to Haiti as part of a multinational security force led by Kenya and supported by the United Nations.
In a joint press release with the Department of State, CAF said Canadian personnel will be training the militaries of Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas (member states of the Caribbean economic and political bloc known as CARICOM) in core peacekeeping skills and combat first aid. announced that it would provide. Defense on Saturday.
According to the statement, CARICOM forces are expected to assist in assisting the Haitian National Police in restoring safety to the Haitian people.
The Canadian-led training mission, known as Operation Helios, will take place at CAF’s operational support hub in Jamaica.
The deployment to Canada will last for the first month, and CAF will train approximately 330 CARICOM troops, the statement said. The Canadian personnel being deployed are primarily from the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, Valcartier, Que.
“Canada is stepping up its important contribution to Haiti’s security, and we continue to support Haiti-led stability-building efforts,” Defense Minister Bill Blair said in a statement. .
Haiti’s “catastrophe” situation
Haiti’s gang wars have intensified in recent weeks, with heavily armed rivals unleashing a new wave of attacks, including attacks on police stations and the international airport.
Officials say more than 1,500 people have been killed in violence so far this year. UN Human Rights Office Report Thursday, describing the “catastrophic” situation in Haiti.
The report recorded 4,451 killings last year and 1,554 this year through March 22, amid escalating violence. Some were killed in their homes in retaliation for allegedly supporting police or rival gangs. The United Nations report said some people were killed by snipers and crossfire on the streets. One of the victims was a 3-month-old infant.
Armed brigades filling security gaps left by police have lynched 528 people suspected of gang links last year and 59 so far this year, according to the United Nations human rights office.
“The recent escalation in violence has led to an intensification of human rights violations, including murder, kidnapping and rape, particularly against women and girls,” the report said in its conclusion, and urged countries to seek support from UN-backed international security agencies. We request that you support the rapid deployment of Power.
Canadian involvement
According to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), there are approximately 3,000 Canadians registered in Haiti. Leaving the country is extremely difficult as airports and roads are under gang control.
GAC released an update Thursday saying 50 Canadians were evacuated from the capital Port-au-Prince to the neighboring Dominican Republic.
The ministry said it is currently helping 132 Canadians reunite with their families.
Fifty Canadian citizens have been evacuated by helicopter from Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince to the neighboring Dominican Republic as gang violence continues to cause chaos on the streets.
In addition to efforts to get Canadians out safely, Canada is contributing $80.5 million to multinational security forces, but says it will not directly deploy soldiers or police.
Currently, a very small number of RCMP officers are deployed to Haiti, mostly in a training role. That number will vary. Deployment conditions allow up to 45 cavalry to be in Haiti at one time, but the current complement is in the single digits.
The multinational security forces will include soldiers and police from Kenya, Benin, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados and several other Caribbean island nations. Kenya took the lead and took the lead.
Although the Kenyan-led mission is not a UN operation, it was approved by the UN Security Council in October. The Haitian government requested a mission in 2022.
It has since faced multiple legal hurdles, including a court ruling in January in Kenya that blocked the deployment of Kenyan police officers.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada will continue to work with the international community to support Haiti-led solutions to the Haitian crisis.
“We continue to work with Haitian stakeholders, CARICOM and our international partners to strengthen the security and justice sector and support Haiti-led efforts to protect the Haitian people and restore internal peace, law and order, and prosperity. We encourage these efforts,” Jolie said in a press release on Saturday.
