Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said on Saturday that the Canadian ambassador to Haiti will stay in the country, when asked if the embassy will close due to rising violence.
“We will ensure that our ambassador is in Haiti,” Joly told Global News outside the state funeral for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.
“It is crucial for Haitians, it is important for Canadians. It is a message to the world, as well.”
Joly’s remarks come a day after Global News reported that members of Canada’s elite special forces unit are at the embassy in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, according to sources.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) informed Global News on Friday that military personnel are currently aiding the Canadian embassy in Port-au-Prince with “contingency planning,” but did not provide further details.
Canadian special forces have been sent to Haiti previously, and to countries like Afghanistan, where they assisted in evacuating embassy staff in 2021.
The U.S. has initiated helicopter evacuations of its citizens in Haiti as the country contends with increasing gang violence amidst a leadership power-vacuum.
According to GAC, there are presently 3,039 Canadians in Haiti registered with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service. It also stated that their Emergency Watch and Response Centre has addressed 245 inquiries since March 3, mainly related to general travel information and the overall security situation.
“Despite the significant political and security crisis in the country, we must demonstrate to the Haitian people that we’re their closest allies and we’re committed for the long term,” Joly said on Saturday.
She stated that she communicates with the ambassador there every two or three days.
The federal government advised Canadians earlier this month that if they cannot stay in one place, they should restrict their movements and keep a low profile when venturing outside.
A state of emergency and nightly curfew were prolonged in Haiti earlier in March as the country grapples with persistent gang assaults and dwindling supplies of essential goods.
— with files from Global News’ Mercedes Stephenson and Naomi Barghiel.
