Better map the territories of the gangs in Haiti: That is the objective of this Canadian military aircraft CC-130 (Hercules), equipped with radar that flies over the airspace of Haiti this Saturday morning.
Against all odds, it is the Canadian ambassador accredited in Port-au-Prince, Sebastien Carriere instead of the Haitian government who made the announcement in a series of messages posted on his Twitter account.
“A Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora is currently operating over Haiti in support of the Haitian National Police’s efforts to restore security in the country,” he wrote with a photo of an aircraft before adding that “the CP-140 Aurora is a long-range patrol aircraft with an impressive flight range and a suite of advanced sensors that combine to make it a very effective surveillance platform.”
Not wanting to release details about this Royal Canadian Air Force mission, the Canadian ambassador said, however, that “this surveillance is another step in Canada’s response to the Haitian crisis, which is based on four pillars: inclusive political dialogue, sanctions, humanitarian aid and security assistance. For the safety of the operation and our @ARC_RCAF members deployed there, we will not comment further on this mission, which is being conducted in collaboration and with the agreement of the Government of Haiti.”
It should be noted that the Canadian military aircraft is flying over Haitian territory in a context of growing insecurity where serial kidnappings and homicides are increasing throughout the country.
It is in a context where the order for 18 armored vehicles is still not completed, more than six months after the advance of more than twelve million U.S. dollars paid to the Canadian company ProFound Corporation by the Haitian state, according to the daily Le Nouvelliste.
So far, there has been no reaction from the Haitian government regarding the presence of this plane in Haitian airspace.
Many wonder if this is the beginning of a classic military intervention so desired by government authorities and a large part of the Haitian population tired of the atrocities of armed bandits.