Canada Trains Interventionist Forces

Canada has continued to play a nefarious role in Haiti ever since convoking the Ottawa Initiative in 2003 that led to the 2004 coup against the democratically elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It is now working in conjunction with forces in the Caribbean Community to help them attain the U.S./Canadian aim of imposing foreign military forces on Haiti once again.

The Department of National Defence (DND) informed that on March 29, in a mission known as Operation Helios, "approximately 70 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed to Jamaica." According to DND, this deployment took place at the request of the Jamaican government. The Canadian Armed Forces "will provide training to military personnel from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations who are set to deploy to Haiti as part of the United Nations-authorized, Kenyan-led, Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission."

"The Canadian personnel being deployed are drawn primarily from the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment from Valcartier, Quebec. Their deployment will last for an initial period of approximately one month. Canadian Armed Forces expects to train approximately 330 CARICOM troops from Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas," DND adds.

According to DND, "This training is just one way that Canada is supporting the Kenyan-led MSS mission and building the capacity of CARICOM partner nations. In February, Minister Joly announced an investment of $80.5 million to support the deployment of MSS mission.

"Operation HELIOS also builds on Canada's ongoing efforts to increase the capacity of CARICOM nations to participate in United Nations missions."

Canada's qualifications for playing this particular role in undermining the Haitian people are evident from its role in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 coup. The March 2007 issue of Press for Conversion focused on Haiti, explained: "Through the UN Police (UNPOL), which the RCMP has led since the coup, Canada has trained and funded Haiti's police (HNP), which has committed countless crimes, including murder, illegal arrest, torture, rape, drug trafficking and kidnapping. Under RCMP supervision, the HNP has promoted many recruits from Haiti's military, which Aristide had disbanded. UNPOL has accompanied deadly HNP raids into poor slums and witnessed unprovoked shootings of peaceful, pro-Aristide protesters. Rather than trying to stop or prevent such atrocities, Canada routinely helps cover them up."

Later in 2013, several Quebec police officers who were part of Canada's forces supervised by the RCMP were found to have violated UN regulations due to sexual abuse of Haitian women during their deployment.

The shamelessness of the Canadian government is such that on October 5, 2023, two days after the UN Security Council authorized an interventionist force to enter Haiti, Global Affairs Canada announced plans to deploy RCMP officers to Haiti "to act as trainers in a multinational military intervention, with officials promising an added focus on preventing sexual violence," the Canadian Press (CP) reported.

As TML wrote at that time, "Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that Ottawa is also 'focused on preventing sexual and gender-based violence' in Haiti. The statement noted 'gangs have been using sexual violence as a means of controlling the population,' CP noted. CP reported that Lisa Vandehei, the head of an interdepartmental task force on Haiti at Global Affairs Canada noted in her testimony that in past military interventions in Haiti, locals have reported widespread sexual exploitation by both fellow citizens and foreign armies. Given these reports it would seem that the 'focus' is on hiding the sexual violence of foreign forces sent to Haiti."

This article was published in

Volume 54 Number 3 - April 2024

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/M5400319.HTM

Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca