Canadian navy to strengthen and stabilise Haiti

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

As of Friday, February 17, 2023

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE deployment of Canadian navy vessels to Haiti will not be used to intercept migrants trying to flee the troubled country, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed yesterday.

Prime Minister Trudeau held a press conference yesterday where he told reporters Canada is working to strengthen the Haitian National Police’s efforts to stabilise the Caribbean nation.

However, he gave no clear indication if Canada will be sending out forces or boots on the ground to assist in Haiti’s worsening state.

Mr Trudeau pointed out for the past 30 years Canada has sent many missions to Haiti in pursuit of providing the country relief. But he said that the focus right now is to strengthen Haiti’s police forces.

“We’ve continued to step up and be there for the Haitian people and we have made commitments that we will continue to do that,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Atlantis resort hours after he announced plans to send Canadian boats to Haiti during a CARICOM event at Baha Mar.

“However, we also must learn from what has worked and what has not worked in the past. And that’s why our focus now is on ensuring that through strengthening the Haitian National Police, equipping them better, ensuring the best for them in their ability to do their jobs,” Mr Trudeau said.

In terms of funding CARICOM nations that are willing to go on the ground of the troubled nation, Mr Trudeau did not give an answer as to whether Canada would provide the crucial funding.

Throughout the press conference, Mr Trudeau highlighted that in order to resolve the unrest in Haiti there needs to be a focus on keeping Haitian people and Haitian leadership at the centre of the solutions being created.

The political and social crisis in Haiti has led to a high level of illegal migration, as many have fled the troubled country in hopes of a better life.

Canada is set to deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels to assist with surveillance and also maintain a maritime presence off the Haitian coast, according to Mr Trudeau.

Asked if he could pledge that the navy vessels won’t be used to intercept migrants who are trying to flee Haiti, the Canadian prime minister confirmed the ships are not there for interception.

“The Canadian ships are not there and will not be there to intercept migrants. They are there to assist the Haitian National Police in their efforts to control the gang activity,” he stressed.

Canada’s extensive support to Haiti has also sparked the question about how it would take the lead on tackling Haiti’s issues.

Mr Trudeau explained that Canada’s support to Haiti has been ongoing since September, as he described Canada as being “elbows deep” in its efforts to assist the country.

He mentioned Canada’s use of sanctions, humanitarian aid for the Haitian people, and support to the Haitian National Police.

Mr Trudeau said: “Canada stepped up last September, with significant heretofore unseen sanctions directly against the economic and political elites that in Haiti are so directly responsible for the ongoing instability. Not just the political instability, but the violence and the support of gangs in this country.

“As we stepped up on sanctions, we also stepped up with support for the Haitian people through humanitarian aid. Support for the police, through equipment, we have strengthened our presence in the embassy, to be able to engage more, in fact, find and see what is most necessary on the ground.”

stillwaters 1 year, 10 months ago

So, they will sit there on the water and let overloaded sloops just slide by them ? Why did he come here? Another flammer

moncurcool 1 year, 10 months ago

“The Canadian ships are not there and will not be there to intercept migrants. They are there to assist the Haitian National Police in their efforts to control the gang activity,” he stressed.

This is where our journalists need to do investigative reporting and not just report verbatim what someone says.

How do ships in the water help the police in Haiti control gangs? Did anyone probe him on that?

Maybe the Defense Force needs to send ships to patrol the waters around Haiti to stop the migrant boats coming out, rather than waiting for them to get here.

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

Reporting to police deters both drugs and human smuggling so depletes gang funding.

SP 1 year, 10 months ago

Lol......As I predicted yesterday. CARICOM's focus on Haiti will not result in a hill of beans!

Drug dealers and gangs supported by corrupt elites and their political puppet leeches are now the governing force in Haiti and they are not about to relinquish power.

carltonr61 1 year, 10 months ago

Toussaint Louverture also was a gang leader to the all historical French/Canadian. Imperialists are like leopards.

Bonefishpete 1 year, 10 months ago

Don't get out of the boat.

becks 1 year, 10 months ago

This is a joke. The Canadians are sending 2 very slow ( 8 knots cruising speed) Kingston class patrol boats. Armed with a couple of .50 calibre machine guns And a crew of 47 max. Laughable.

JokeyJack 1 year, 10 months ago

So Canada will be using their ships to transport Haitians here in the middle of night.

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

Guantanamo to PR.

Putting the cops up against the gangs on the ground would cost the police most. On the ground doesn't really make sense except for intel. Not even aid would be safe. Besides, the roads are poor.

The main problem is Haiti banned its own army since the abuse under Papa Doc so had none when the UN was finally able to pull out recently. https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content… https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4dyAVZ… https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-ameri…

Is there a list of all the mass killings from each in which areas? Wikipedia? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_m…

Any more reliable live map? https://www.reddit.com/r/haiti/comments… https://s.observers.france24.com/media/…

Is Rwanda willing to accept influx?

Has Haiti's defaulting on Petrocaribe or retaliation against their joining LIMA been ruled out as motives for Moise's death?

Going forward, Haitians need safe higher voter turnout, to not riot later if they didn't vote, and to allow a president their full term unless their crime is dire.

https://haitiantimes.com/2023/02/17/hai…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYDhvf8…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH3EzLy…

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

Saturate the capital with helicopters for noise disturbance on days the police will conduct raids. 24hr noise.

Use drones for tear gas. We have two to loan.

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

Teach locals to track themselves to prevent kidnappings. Faster finds and knowing that everyone is tracking themselves will deter and drain gang funding. Some sticker trackers/tags are cheap. Most won't have smartphones but can share their tag info beforehand with those who do or police.

Give out chastity pants.

Deplete the gang members of food through sellers to surrender.

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

They can also impose lockdowns in the gang areas to prevent kidnapping long enough to defund them.

killemwitdakno 1 year, 10 months ago

Win prospect members over to jobs. Guyana can provide jobs for them to build tiny houses for export ( which I wanted for here but they ran out with it as you're only hateful, same reason why you can't be on the ground). School desks can also be made from sesil as one there project began. Replanting trees can be funded by our carbon initiative and would be huge ( There was a DC Haitian ambassador with extensive experience in this). We have water infrastructure skills to send as well. Immigration costs can be saved by paying locals to report planned expeditions instead, advertise as a job on the embassy's site and accept thousands at $2/day per successful deterrence. With about 10 boat attempts a day, the cost shouldn't be much (like a police tip program).

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta…

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