Police officers take cover as protesters throw rocks at them during a protest to demand that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down and a call for a better quality of life in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
By Melissa Lopez-Martinez, CTV News, Oct. 15, 2022
The coordinated shipment was planned under a joint operation with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force. Global Affairs Canada released a statement Saturday evening confirming the joint delivery of armoured vehicles from the Canadian and U.S. military has arrived in Haiti.
“Today, Canadian and U.S. military aircraft arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to transfer vital Haitian government-purchased security equipment, including tactical and armoured vehicles, and supplies to the Director General of the Haitian National Police (HNP),” the statement reads.
The statement, issued by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and National Defence Minister Anita Anand, says the equipment is intended to help the Haitian National Police against “criminal actors who are fomenting violence and disrupting the flow of critically-needed humanitarian assistance, hindering efforts to halt the spread of cholera.”
The federal government says Canada will be working with other international partners to help Haiti’s law enforcement in training more police officers. The statement did not include if any additional police tools like firearms and bulletproof vests were included in the shipment. Canada's ambassador to Haiti Sebastien Carriere also said on Twitter they will not be releasing the vehicle numbers or models to not expose the information to gangs in the country.
“Canada and the United States commend the international community for mobilizing new commitments in support of Haiti’s most pressing needs, and we urge international partners to deliver on those commitments. We encourage partner nations to contribute to the UN Basket Fund to restore peace and citizen security for the Haitian people. Together with the Government of Haiti, Canada and the United States affirm the importance of working together to support the restoration of security in Haiti,” the statement reads.
Posted Oct. 16, 2022