Questions over legitimacy of Haitian government at centre of request to deploy foreign force

Witnesses appearing before the House Subcommittee for International Human Rights say a request from acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry to send a foreign military force to his country cannot be considered without also weighing concerns over the legitimacy of his government. Amid a storm of worsening crises, Henry asked the international community in October to send soldiers to address gang control over critical infrastructure. There have also been calls for Canada to play a leading role in an international mission in Haiti. Foreign interference in Haiti harkens back to a series of oft-criticized missions, including a United Nations mission that lasted from 2004 to 2017 that was responsible for a cholera outbreak in 2010. Canadian Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae was in Haiti from Dec. 7 to 9 as part of a diplomatic mission to “encourage greater unity” towards democratic elections. Haiti is in the middle of long-delayed elections, which were further pushed back after the assassination of then-president Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. In a Dec. 9 meeting of the Subcommittee for International Human Rights, journalist and activist Monique Clesca, of the Bureau de Suivi de l'Accord de Montana, said there can’t be direction taken from a request from Henry as he is an illegitimate leader. She said the call for a foreign military force is a crime of “high treason.” “This request attests to the failure of Henry’s government and the international community—notably Canada, France, the United States, the , and the UN—which installed him and continues to support him despite his illegitimacy and poor governance,” she said in French. The Montana Accord brought together civic, political, and religious organizations in hopes of establishing a provisional government for Haiti and ousting Henry. The House Subcommittee for International Human Rights, chaired by Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi, has held four meetings on the situation in Haiti. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Clesca said Henry has “no legitimacy,” adding that there were options for the Henry government to act, but instead it “sat on its hands.” “Under his autocratic rule, everything has deteriorated considerably, and the gangs have filled the void,” she said. “The Haitian state is unable and unwilling to fulfill its essential function of meeting the basic needs and rights of its people,” she told the subcommittee. “The human rights situation in Haiti cannot be seen outside the general and prior context of the political crisis,” Clesca said, remarking that the Haitian state is a “failed state” with the politicization of the national police. Liberal MP Emmanuel Dubourg (Bourassa, Que.), who is the lone Haitian-born member of the House of Commons, told The Hill Times that Canada can’t pick sides of what political group to support in Haiti. “The Canadian government doesn’t back any political ,” said Dubourg, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, but has participated in all three public meetings on the situation in Haiti at the Subcommittee of International Human Rights. “Right now, we have Ariel Henry, so we have to discuss with him. ... Canada will not choose any political leader from any agreement the Montana or Ariel Henry.” He said the problem is that there is no vision for Haiti among the political leadership in the country. “I have not seen that, but we are not going to get involved to choose whoever, but we are here to help them,” he said. “We have to do something for them.” Clesca said the Montana Accord is against military intervention in Haiti, but trumpeted strengthening the national police. She said that the crisis in Haiti won’t be solved by “boots on the ground,” as it is a socioeconomic problem. “Urgent humanitarian aid is needed immediately,” she said in French, remarking that aid programs need to help those who have been displaced by gangs. While Clesca opposed a foreign military force in Haiti, others who have appeared before the subcommittee say it is needed. “Inaction might not necessarily be the best course of action,” said Renata Segura, the International Crisis Group’s associate director for Latin America and the Caribbean. She said Haitian voices in support of an intervention aren’t heard as “frequently or loudly,” but that they are part of the conversation taking place in Haiti. Dubourg said a military intervention would be the last option. He previously told The Hill Times that he supported Canada agreeing to Henry’s request for a military intervention. He said potential military intervention will depend on the effectiveness of sanctions and the response from gang leaders in Haiti. “It’s going to take time,” he said. Dubourg said he has been in contact with the Canadian government and it is considering a “lot of options.” NDP MP Heather McPherson says that foreign intervention is not a solution to the situation in Haiti. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade In a Dec. 12 interview with the Canadian Press, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said the government hasn’t taken any options off the table, but noted that Canada’s approach “must change this time.” He added that he is encouraging the United States and European nations to bring their own sanctions on Haiti. Dubourg said that would be a useful step as individuals who Canada has sanctioned may hold more assets in the U.S., France, and the Dominican Republic. “I think that our partners should follow the tack we are doing with sanctions,” he said. “Those people are not the ones that have a lot of properties in Canada.” He said if allies also employ sanctions, it would lead to an “extremely difficult” situation for gang leaders and those who are supporting gangs in Haiti. NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, Alta.), her party’s foreign affairs critic, said in an emailed statement that sanctions are not enough and a military intervention is “not the solution.” “It is clear that the Haitian community, and many Haitian-Canadians, are distrustful of foreign intervention, given the troubling legacy of past interventions that resulted in political crisis, cholera, and sexual exploitation and abuse,” she said. “Any efforts Canada makes must ... ensure respect for the rights of the people of Haiti to self-determination. In addition to sanctions, Canada should increase financial support to Haitian civil society, including human rights defenders, and immediately increase in humanitarian assistance to Haiti. Canada also needs to be working to stop illegal weapons trafficking to Haiti,” McPherson added. nmoss@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Questions over legitimacy of Haitian government at centre of request to deploy foreign force

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Questions over legitimacy of Haitian government at centre of request to deploy foreign force

Haitian-born Liberal MP Emmanuel Dubourg says foreign military intervention in Haiti will only come as a last resort.

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