The Canadian army does not have the capacity to lead a security force in Haiti
Chief of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre.
Chief of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre, expressed concern that his country's armed forces, already mobilized in support of Ukraine and the United States, #x27;NATO, do not have the capacity to carry out a possible security mission in Haiti.
The Haitian government and the United Nations have already launched an appeal for the establishment of an international force to support law enforcement in Haiti in their fight against the armed gangs that control certain regions of the country.
The United States has asked Canada to take the lead in such an intervention. Ottawa has already said that it is cautious about this strategy, and favors a solution by and for Haitians.
In early February, a CP-140 Aurora aircraft flew over the capital Port-au -Prince to collect information on the activities of criminal groups. Since October 2022, Canada has also sent several armored vehicles ordered by Haiti to better equip the national police.
My concern is our capacity as we rebuild, as we move to brigade level in Latvia, Canada's top military officer told Reuters on Wednesday in his office in Ottawa. There are so many things to do. […] It would be difficult.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Canada has spent more than a billion dollars in military assistance.
Canada has also deployed approximately 700 troops to Latvia, leading a NATO battle group designed to help defend Eastern Europe from attack. Russians. The battle group is, however, about to expand and Canada has promised to provide some new weapons. These include anti-tank, anti-aircraft and anti-drone systems, which the Canadian Army currently lacks.
The Canadian Armed Forces are struggling to recruit and donations to Ukraine have reduced some military stocks, Gen. Eyre said.
Violence in Haiti has reached levels not seen in decades, according to the United Nations.
Haiti has been stuck for years in a deep economic, security and political crisis. The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 worsened the situation.
The number of recorded homicides increased from 1141 in 2019 to 2183 in 2022 and that of kidnappings from 78 to 1359.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly asserted that the solution must come from the Haitians, a message echoed by General Eyre. The solution must come from the host country, he said.
At a defense conference in Ottawa on Thursday, where panelists discussed the state and future of the Canadian Armed Forces, Senior Human Resources Officer Maj. General Lise Bourgon, revealed that Canadian troops were short by 16,000 soldiers – far more than previously reported. These are real and serious risks to mission success. And that's where we stand today.
And that deficit is set to get worse; indeed, Ms. Bourgon told attendees that the military is falling short of its recruiting targets of around 25%, while the attrition rate is higher than it should be. it never was.
To address the problem, the military launched a new advertising campaign aimed at attracting Canadians to recruiting centers. The army also recently opened its doors to permanent residents.
With information from Reuters
