Canada's top general worries military lacks capacity to lead Haiti mission

Canada's top general said he was concerned that his country's armed forces, which are already stretched thin by support for Ukraine and NATO, do not have the capacity to lead a possible security mission to Haiti.

Haiti's government and top United Nations officials have called for an international force to support Haitian police in their struggle against gangs, which have become the de facto authorities in parts of the country.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in January said it was critical to identify a country to take the lead and said Canada had expressed an interest in that role. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not committed to a Haiti mission.

Over the past year, Canada has spent more than $1 billion Cdn on military assistance for Ukraine. Now Canada is preparing to nearly double its presence in Latvia, which shares a border with Russia and Belarus. Ottawa announced new procurement for the mission on Thursday.

"My concern is just our capacity," Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre told Reuters in his office in Ottawa on Wednesday. "There's only so much to go around ... It would be challenging."

Officials in Ottawa say the United States has lobbied hard for Canada to take on the role, and President Joe Biden may carry that message again when he visits the capital later this month.

Haitian gangs have expanded their territory since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. The resulting violence has left much of the country off-limits to the government and has led to routine gun battles with police.

Solution must come from within, says Eyre

Haiti has a long history of foreign military footprints on its soil, including a 1915 U.S. occupation that lasted 20 years, and more recent UN and U.S. troop deployments following political turmoil and natural disasters, some of which led to allegations of abuse.

Trudeau has repeatedly said a solution rests in the hands of Haitians, a position Eyre reiterated.

"The solution's got to come from the host nation itself," Eyre said. "They have to own the solution."

Canada has sent armoured vehicles to Haitian police and it has two small ships patrolling the coast. It has also sanctioned several former politicians and gang leaders.

Canada's military is now "actively planning" expanding to brigade strength in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Operation Reassurance, the defence mission it leads in Latvia, Eyre said.

That will mean the participation of about 2,000 Canadian soldiers, alongside those from other countries, Eyre said, compared to its current deployment of 700 to 1,000.

Defence Minister Anita Anand on Thursday announced plans to purchase portable anti-tank missile systems, counter uncrewed aircraft systems, and air defence systems for the Latvian mission.