OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian Armed Forces surveillance aircraft was heading dwelling Tuesday after two intelligence-collecting flights over Haiti.

The CP-140 Aurora’s return got here after Prime Minister Justin authorities introduced Saturday that the aircraft was being deployed to gather intelligence on gang exercise in Haiti.

Protection Minister Anita Anand and International Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly additionally described the deployment on the time as an indication of Canada’s dedication to Haiti, which has been battered by a collection of crises.

Violent, feuding gangs have taken over the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince since final summer season. A United Nations report in October mentioned gangs are sexually assaulting girls and kids, along with curbing entry to well being care, electrical energy and clear water.

The gangs have reportedly killed and kidnapped a whole bunch, whereas filling an influence vacuum in a rustic led by politicians whose phrases have expired. No elections have been held since earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

A army spokesman, Capt. Graeme Scott, mentioned Tuesday that the long-range surveillance aircraft was initially assigned to a U.S.-led counter-narcotics mission within the Caribbean earlier than being tasked with conducting two flights over Haiti over two days.

“The CP-140 has been capturing data that shall be utilized by the federal government of Canada to additional assess the state of affairs in Haiti,” Scott mentioned in an emailed assertion.

“Because the plane has now accomplished that data gathering, as a part of Canada’s response to the state of affairs in Haiti, it’s now on its approach again to Canada.”

It wasn’t instantly clear how the knowledge shall be used, although Haiti’s unelected prime minister, Ariel Henry, has requested a overseas army intervention, which Washington says Canada ought to steer.

The concept has confirmed divisive amongst Haitians. Canada has as a substitute sought a political consensus in Haiti, which incorporates sanctioning greater than a dozen political and financial elites, accusing them of emboldening the gangs.