Approximately 70 members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been sent to Jamaica to train troops who will go to Haiti, grappling with a surge in violence linked to criminal gangs, as part of the “multinational support mission to security” led by Kenya.
As part of this mission, called Operation HELIOS, Canadian soldiers will provide “training in core peacekeeping skills and combat first aid,” indicates a joint press release from the Department of National Defense and the CAF issued on Saturday. .
The soldiers retained mainly come from 1er Royal Battalion 22e Regiment in Valcartier, Quebec. Their deployment is planned for an initial duration of approximately one month.
The CAF expects to be able to train approximately 330 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) military personnel from the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica.
Ottawa adds that this mission “is only one of the ways for Canada to support the multinational security support mission (MMAS)” and recalls the announcement, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, of a sum of 80.5 million to support its deployment.
In October 2023, the United Nations Security Council authorized the deployment of this MMAS in Haiti as the Caribbean country, among the poorest in the world, is grappling with an outbreak of violence.
Kenya volunteered to lead the mission which aims to help the Haitian National Police stabilize security conditions and ultimately allow elections to be held.
These became necessary following the announcement of the Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, of his resignation on March 12, 2024.