The Liberal government is debating whether Canada should lead a United Nations military intervention aimed at restoring order and stability in Haiti as the Caribbean country faces a humanitarian crisis.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters on Tuesday that she has been in discussions with the UN and Kenya, which has expressed a willingness to spearhead the operation if Canada doesn’t set up to the plate.
Joly’s comments come at a time when the Liberal government looks to pull $1 billion in funding from the defence budget and military leaders are warning that Canada simply doesn’t have the resources to take on such a critical mission.
“Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be,” said Joly.
“We want to do more. So we’ll thus continue these diplomatic conversations, and I would say that we’ll also continue to support solutions that are by and for Haitians.”
Canada’s highest-ranking military officer said in March that the Canadian Armed Forces were already stretched thinly and would struggle to lead such a mission.
Haiti, the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, has been engulfed in turmoil since mid-2021, following the assassination of its president by foreign mercenaries.
Subsequently, rival factions have competed for authority and criminal gangs have exploited the ensuing chaos to expand their dominion across significant portions of the country.
This violence has led to the displacement of numerous citizens, disruptions in essential services like water and electricity access, and outbreaks of diseases like cholera.
The request for international intervention came from Haiti’s unelected prime minister last year, although this proposition has sparked controversy among Haitian residents and certain regional powers.
The United States has voiced its support for the intervention and even floated Canada as an operational leader.
While speaking to reporters Joly did not specify the nature of Canada’s support but she emphasized Ottawa’s endorsement of a dialogue among Haitian stakeholders to arrive at a consensus on fair elections.
Furthermore, Canada has implemented sanctions targeting various Haitian political and economic elites who have been accused of obstructing peaceful resolutions and capitalizing on the crisis for personal gain.
