By Brian Laghi, The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
OTTAWA, Canada -- The federal government will send 100 police officers to Haiti to help stabilize the Caribbean country. The decision was announced yesterday after the cabinet’s first meeting since last week’s election.
“Our police will be responding to an immediate need in Haiti as the country strives to restore law and order following the recent political crisis,” Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a prepared statement.
“Re-establishment of the rule of law is essential for all other economic, social and political efforts to succeed.”
Canada is currently contributing 500 soldiers and six helicopters to a United Nations force in the country. They will remain until the end of August. The contribution, which will cost $16-million, is part of the UN stabilization mission in Haiti.
The organization has a mandate to ensure stability after a three-week uprising in February led Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to flee the country.
In addition to the deployment of personnel, Canada has also contributed $15-million in humanitarian and other assistance.