Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been deployed to Jamaica to train Caribbean Community troops for a mission aimed at restoring order in Haiti.
A news release from the Department of National Defence reveals 70 Canadian Forces members were deployed recently at the request of the Jamaican government.
The release during the month-long assignment, the CAF members help in preparing CARICOM troops for deployment in Haiti, where the Caribbean soldiers will fortify the Haitian National Police as part of a United Nations approved mission to restore security in the country.
The Canadian personnel were drawn primarily from the 1st Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment from Valcartier, Quebec while the Caribbean Community troops are from Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Local police forces in Haiti have been overwhelmed by gangs who have taken control of major infrastructure in the nation, brewing a violent turf war that has led to the collapse of the island society.
The Canadian Armed Forces led training courses for around 300 defense personnel from Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize in January.
