(Ottawa) The Dominican Republic would never have given Canada permission to set up an office on its territory charged with supporting the Haitian National Police, according to the Dominican foreign minister – a claim the Canadian government refutes.
Posted at 8:07pm, updated at 9:17pm.
Santo Domingo Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez made the allegation in a tweet published on Friday morning, a day after an announcement by his Canadian counterpart Mélanie Joly, which he attended virtually.
“The Dominican government confirms that it has not discussed, agreed or approved the establishment of a coordination office in support of the National Police of Haiti on our territory, according to information ‘from a Canadian medium,'” he wrote in Spanish.
Minister Joly announced the forthcoming opening of the International Assistance Coordination Office during the 2023 Haiti Ministerial on Thursday morning. As she has often said, Canada’s chief diplomat has expressed a desire to develop solutions “by and for Haitians.”
“We want this coordination center to be operational this summer in the Dominican Republic,” she said at the opening of the meeting, thanking ” [s]Many thanks to dear colleague Roberto for the support and cooperation with us.”
In a statement sent out on Friday, Global Affairs Canada notes that “talks have been ongoing between partners for several weeks to bring this work to fruition.” […]including those aimed at establishing a site that will support the group’s work in geographical proximity to Haiti.”
Through the Canada-led Joint Coordination Cell, “more than 20 countries and international organizations will work together to help Haitians and the Haitian National Police meet the country’s security needs,” the ministry added.
Canada has been asked repeatedly, including by the United States, to lead a multinational intervention mission to restore order to the Caribbean country that had been mired in chaos for months. However, he always resisted.