Joly says Canadians 'want to do more' to help Haiti as military intervention looms
Unclear whether Canada will play a role in multinational force
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is determining how it can best help with an international military intervention in Haiti, leaving it unclear whether this will involve a military role for Canada.
"Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be," Joly told reporters Tuesday morning on Parliament Hill in French.
"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."
The United Nations Security Council approved a multinational force Monday to help combat violent gangs in Haiti. Kenya has offered to lead the force.
Joly said she's spoken with her Kenyan counterpart and with Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae about how Canada can be of help.
Haiti's unelected prime minister asked for an international intervention last year, and the idea has been divisive among Haitians though it is supported by the UN and Washington.
Joly didn't specify the kind of help her government has offered.
Haiti has faced a profound security crisis exacerbated by brazen criminal gangs since mid-2021, leading to rampant violence, cholera outbreaks and restricted access to water, food and medical care.
Washington had asked Canada to lead a military intervention. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it's unclear whether such a move would lead to long-term stability, citing multiple previous interventions that he argued made Haiti even less stable.
Canada's top military general told media in March that there weren't enough armed forces available to lead such a mission.
Joly has instead issued sanctions on multiple members of the political and economic elite in Haiti, arguing this will lead to a consensus among political actors on how other countries can best help Haitians find stability and eventually hold an election.