Canada has taken note of the approval by the United Nations Security Council of a multinational mission in Haiti led by Kenya and is determined to “do more” to help the Haitian people, maintains the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, without specifying what form of involvement Ottawa could consider.
“We take note of what happened in the Security Council yesterday. You know that Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be,” she said Tuesday in a press scrum.
Mme Joly recalled that Canada announced, last March, additional funding of $100 million to help the Haitian people, more specifically by focusing on strengthening the capacities of the Haitian national police.
“But we want to do more. So, therefore, we will continue [nos] diplomatic conversations and I would tell you that we will also continue to support solutions that are by and for Haitians,” she continued.
The minister mentioned having met on Monday with Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae, as well as with her Kenyan counterpart, Alfred Mutua, with whom she is “in very close contact.” regular”.
A first mission in 20 years
The United Nations Security Council voted that day to send a Kenyan-led multinational force to Haiti to combat violent gangs in the troubled Caribbean country.
The resolution drafted by the United States was approved with 13 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.
It authorizes the deployment of the force for a period of one year, with a review after nine months. It would be the first time a force has been deployed to Haiti since a UN-approved mission nearly 20 years ago.
No deployment date has been set, although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said a security mission to Haiti could be sent “within a few months”.
Kenyan Minister Alfred Mutua told the BBC that the force should be in Haiti from January 1, 2024, “if not before”.
The extent of this force was not immediately specified. The Kenyan government has already offered to send 1,000 police officers. Additionally, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda have also committed to sending personnel.
Canada, for its part, has not specified what role it could play, particularly on the military level.
Last month, the US government of President Joe Biden promised to provide logistics and US$100 million to support the Kenyan-led force.
With the Associated Press