(Ottawa) The Canadian diplomatic presence in Port-au-Prince has been reduced due to the security situation in the country, and the uncertainty following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
“Today we reduced the number of employees at our embassy in Port-au-Prince to maintain our essential employees there,” the head of Canadian diplomacy reported on social networks.
The relocated personnel were transported Thursday morning by helicopter and are now in the Dominican Republic, said Sébastien Beaulieu, director general of security at Global Affairs Canada, during a technical briefing.
The Canadian Ambassador to Port-au-Prince, André François Giroux, and a consular team remain on site to “support Canadians in this unstable situation, given the limited availability of food,” she added.
The resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry has plunged the country into uncertainty. Although this departure was welcomed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), what happens next remains unpredictable due to the influence of gangs in several sectors of the capital.
Especially since in the wake of this resignation, Kenya announced the suspension of the planned sending of police officers to Haiti as part of an international mission supported by the United Nations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday to take stock of the crisis.
“The leaders affirmed the need for other international partners to mobilize to provide the mission with the support it so badly needs,” it is written in particular in the report of the interview provided by the office of the Canadian leader.
Travel advice
The Canadian government recommends avoiding all travel to the Caribbean island “due to the threat of kidnapping, gang-related violence and possible civil unrest throughout the country.”
For those who are on site, Ottawa advises “to shelter in place; stock up on basic necessities (food, water and medicine); and to limit their movements, if they cannot do so, to shelter in place.”
Nearly 3,000 Canadians are currently in Haiti, according to Global Affairs records. “All Canadians in Haiti should register [au service d’inscription des Canadiens à l’étranger] to receive up-to-date information,” suggests the ministry.
A repatriation mission is not in the cards at the moment, but “we still have plans in development,” said Sébastien Beaulieu. He noted that no country had yet taken this path.