The idea of forming and sending a multinational force to Haiti at the beginning of November is taking shape as the hours pass.
According to our information, Canada is on the verge of giving its approval to take command of this multinational force. According to an official of the U.S. administration who spoke to ZoomHaitinews and CaribebanTelevisionNetwork on condition of anonymity, this is becoming clear. “In my discussions with Canadian diplomats and generals [about the possibility of Canada leading the force], they think it’s a very popular idea for the Liberals in [Quebec] because of the Haitian community in Canada, and maybe they want to show international leadership,” said the U.S. official.
We have also learned that the United States is urging Canada to take the lead in the international intervention force that should arrive in Haiti in early November. According to Radio Canada, this is one of the objectives of the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ottawa on Thursday and Friday.
The Americans want a substantial involvement of Canada in Haiti and ask him to take a leadership role in a possible international intervention force to stabilize the country,” writes Radio Canada on its website on Friday specifying that this is one of the many issues that will be discussed Thursday in Ottawa, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly receives his American counterpart Antony Blinken.”
We said in a previous article that the U.S. administration is quite confident that it can find U.N. member countries to advance the Security Council resolution and find countries to lead the multinational force to address the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The force is expected to arrive in the country in early November, Reuters reported, citing a briefing by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols around Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Canada starting Thursday.
According to the U.S. official, the thorny issue of the Haitian crisis will be on the menu of discussions between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“I don’t agree at all with the idea that a resolution authorizing a multinational force is in jeopardy,” Brian A. Nichols said, adding that he expected the direction of the force to become clear as the talks move forward in the coming days, Reuters writes.
“I’m confident we’ll have something by early November, both a resolution and leadership for the force. So I think things are moving very much on schedule,” Nichols said.
“The multinational force, as requested by the Haitian government would largely be a police force with a military component. The international community, I think, every country wants to understand what role they would play. And let me emphasize that the United States will play an active and robust role, but that role will be focused on our forces. And we are working with our partner countries in the hemisphere and around the world to contribute to that force,” the U.S. official said before reaffirming his enthusiasm.
“I’m very confident in the way the conversation is moving forward on the role and responsibilities of everyone,” said Nichols, who expressed confidence that by early November there will be a resolution and leadership for the force.