By: Staff Writer
February 17, 2023
The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau highlights the humanitarian crisis in Haiti and pledges the send in the Navy to conduct “surveillance” and maintain a presence off of the Haitian coast.
Mr Trudeau, in his remarks at the 44th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Nassau, Bahamas signals the first move by any leader of the developed world with regard to Haiti’s current humanitarian crisis.
Mr Trudeau said: “ritical to prosperity is stability in the region. And, Canada, like you, is very concerned about the ongoing unrest and instability in Haiti.
“Right now, Haiti is confronted with unrelenting gang violence, political turmoil, and corruption.
“Armed groups are committing murder, rape, and other gender-based violence, kidnapping innocent people, and recruiting children, to terrorize and subjugate people.
“It hits close to home not only in the region, but also in Canada with our strong Haitian diaspora community.”
According to the most recent Statistics Canada census (2016), there are 165,095 Haitians living in Canada, slightly more than 86 per cent of whom live in Quebec. Canada, due to its French heritage, has been a go-to haven for Haitians for decades. For example, former Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, a stateswoman and former journalist who served in the position from 2005 to 2010, is a key indicator to how Haitians have flourished in Canada. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office.
Mr Trudeau also said: “Prime Minister (Ariel) Henry is here with us, as leader of a CARICOM member state. Now is the moment to come together to confront the severity of this situation.
“As neighbours, and, for Canada, as a partner with decades of history of support for the people of Haiti, we need to work on long-lasting solutions that will: restore order and security; allow for essential aid to flow to those who urgently need it; and create the conditions for free and fair elections – so that the Haitian people can live in a stable and democratic society.”
He added: “The toll of human suffering in Haiti weighs heavily on me. As Canadians, our fundamental objective is to ease this suffering and empower Haitians to chart their own future.
“I had a very constructive conversation with Prime Minister Henry today. We are working closely together to help address the political, security, and humanitarian crisis in Haiti.”
Leading him to say: “We have provided direct support to bolster the Haitian National Police so that Haiti has the tools and support to solve this situation, including: deploying surveillance aircraft and vital strategic security equipment and vehicles; and an additional delivery of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in the coming days.
He continued, “And today, I am announcing that Canada will also deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence, and maintain a maritime presence off the Haitian coast in the coming weeks.”