Unrest in Haiti | Canada promises aid of 91 million

As part of a meeting Monday to find urgent solutions to the Haitian crisis in Jamaica, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to provide an additional $91 million to help the country ravaged by armed gang violence.

“The people of Haiti need us to focus on their well-being and security,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during the CARICOM-led press conference. This regional Caribbean trade bloc held an urgent meeting Monday in Jamaica to find solutions to the crisis that Haiti has been going through since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Since the end of February, the situation has deteriorated further. Powerful armed gangs burned down police stations, caused the closure of major international airports, blocked port activities and freed more than 4,000 detainees. Several Western embassies were evacuated over the weekend.

Justin Trudeau participated in the meeting remotely, while Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, was on site.

“Canada will continue to be there in support of a Haiti-led solution,” added Mr. Trudeau. A little earlier, he announced additional financial support of $91 million, according to Agence France-Presse.

The United States also clarified on Monday that it was increasing its financial contribution. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised an additional 100 million to finance the deployment of a multinational force, and 33 million more in humanitarian aid.

Towards a transitional government?

Monday’s discussions led to a proposal, agreed between Caribbean leaders and Haitian stakeholders, to accelerate the creation of a “presidential college”, announced Antony Blinken.

This college would take concrete steps – which have not been specified – to meet the needs of the Haitian people and enable the imminent deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said he was convinced he had found common ground.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the meeting was a first step.

“It is clear that Haiti is now at a critical point,” he said. We are deeply saddened that it is already too late for too many people who have lost far too much at the hands of criminal gangs. »

Canada spoke with Prime Minister Henry

Stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented from returning to Port-au-Prince, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry spoke remotely with CARICOM members during the meeting, during which he finally agreed to resign , late Monday evening.

Pressure was mounting on the prime minister to resign or accept a transition council. Appointed by Jovenel Moïse, Mr. Henry should have left his functions at the beginning of February, which he did not do. Haiti has not had an election since 2016.

At a press conference, Justin Trudeau said earlier in the evening that he had spoken with his Haitian counterpart and “thanked him for all the work he continues to do.”

In the process, Mr. Trudeau reiterated his confidence in the country’s political transition. “I know that by moving forward with some form of presidential transitional council, as people come together and put aside their differences to build an ambitious future, the people of Haiti will be well served,” added the Prime Minister.

A little earlier, UN Ambassador Bob Rae also stated on Radio-Canada that Canadian authorities had spoken with the Haitian Prime Minister. Mr. Rae, however, did not want to reveal the content of this exchange.

Gangs brandish threat of “even greater chaos”

As leaders met behind closed doors, Jimmy Chérizier – considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader – told reporters that if the international community continues on its current path, “it will plunge Haiti into further chaos.” bigger “.

“We, the Haitians, must decide who will be at the head of the country and what model of government we want,” assured this former elite police officer, better known as “Barbecue”.

In recent days, dozens of people have been killed and more than 15,000 left homeless after fleeing neighborhoods attacked by gangs. Food and water are dwindling as stores selling to impoverished Haitians run out of goods.

The UN Security Council on Monday urged Haitian gangs to “immediately cease their destabilizing actions”, including sexual violence and the recruitment of children.

Global Affairs Canada updated its advice to Canadians in Haiti on Sunday, advising to “shelter in place; stock up on basic necessities (food, water and medicine); and to limit his movements.

No assistance or repatriation flights for Canadians in Haiti are planned by the Government of Canada at this stage, the federal agency indicated in a press release on Monday.

With Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press

Read “Five keys to better understanding the crisis”