OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada has sent about 70 soldiers to Jamaica to train troops from Caribbean countries who will take part in a United Nations-sanctioned mission in Haiti, Canada’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
Kenya announced last year that it would lead the force, designed to help national police fight powerful gangs in Haiti, where spiraling violence has fueled a humanitarian disaster. The initiative has since become embroiled in Kenyan lawsuits, effectively putting the mission on hold.
The Canadian troops, from the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, will provide training in key peacekeeping and combat first aid skills, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. French is one of Haiti’s two official languages.
The troops will remain in Jamaica for an initial period of one month and will train approximately 330 soldiers from Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas.
Last month, Canada said it would donate C$80.5 million to support the deployment of the Kenya-led mission.