Although Canada and the United States agree that more needs to be done to help Haiti out of the crisis that is crippling it, chief diplomats in Ottawa and Washington are still debating how best to do so. The United States wants an international force to be dispatched to help the Haitian authorities regain control on the ground. Discussions continued during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ottawa. But the federal government is not ready to commit itself.

Mr Blinken began his first official visit to Canadian soil on Thursday while the United Nations debates the intervention of such a force in Haiti and that the US government has hinted in recent days that Canada could lead the operation.

However, the secretary of state refused to publicly confirm that Washington would like Ottawa to coordinate this international force. “We are speaking among ourselves, but also with several other countries, to see who would be willing to take part in such a mission and who could take it on,” he was content to reply alongside Canada’s foreign minister. Foreigner, Melanie Joly. The United States has already said behind closed doors that it does not want to take over.

In the hour prior to Minister Blinken’s arrival, Ottawa announced that it would send an assessment team to Haiti to assess the security situation, local police organization and the humanitarian situation in the country.

“Haiti needs us more than ever. Of course we will play a role,” Minister Joly assured at a press conference.

No hasty decision

Behind the scenes in Ottawa, however, the formation of an international force is believed to be premature. She still advocates finding a way out of the diplomatic crisis – if the two camps agree to negotiate – and imposing sanctions on the gangs running the chaos, based on a UN resolution on Haiti. Canada’s police forces may also resume efforts to train national forces, as they have done in the past.

“No decision will be made without the participation of Haitians,” stressed Mélanie Joly, noting the importance of any mission in the country having “strong legitimacy.”

“In these circumstances, we really need to work with the Americans, with many other countries in the region,” she insisted, seemingly throwing off the idea that the responsibility for an international force rests on Canada’s shoulders. Ottawa, along with Washington, supplied military hardware bought by the Haitian government and offered the country $40 million this year.

The idea of ​​a “specialized force” has been promoted by Prime Minister and interim President Ariel Henry, who was never sworn in and has held onto power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, but is controversial locally because it is viewed by some as a “profession”. becomes.

Haiti has been in crisis since gangs blocked access to essentials like water, food and oil.

Still nothing to finish the Roxham file

Minister Joly and Minister Blinken who met with the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the end of the day also the discussed war in Ukrainethe situation in Iran, the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific.

M^me Joly also mentioned the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States, which in its current form is causing thousands of migrants to cross the border irregularly, particularly at Roxham Road. Ottawa and Washington say they have been in talks to modernize the deal for years.

“Negotiations are taking place and will continue,” said Minister Joly with an update.

The answer from the American side was just as brief. Minister Blinken pointed out that the file also affects many countries in South and Latin America. The migration challenge “must be addressed by countries of origin, transit and destination,” he argued.

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