In an effort to support the UN mission in Haiti by helping to suppress violence and provide humanitarian relief, Canada stated that it was sending troops to Jamaica to train soldiers from the Caribbean.
According to the Canadian Defense Ministry, Canada has dispatched about 70 soldiers to Jamaica in order to provide training to troops from Caribbean countries who would be participating in a UN-approved mission to Haiti.
The force is intended to support national police in combating powerful gangs in Haiti, where a humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by spiraling violence. Kenya declared last year that it would serve as the force’s leader, and on Saturday, it was deployed.
Since then, the effort has been involved in legal disputes in Kenya, thus putting the objective on pause.
According to a statement from the defense ministry, the Canadian troops, who are from the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec, would offer instruction in combat first aid and fundamental peacekeeping techniques.
One of Haiti’s two official languages is French.
Approximately 330 troops from Jamaica, Belize, and the Bahamas will get training from the military during their initial month-long stay in Jamaica.
Last month, Canada announced that it will provide $80.5 million to help the mission led by Kenya get deployed.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
