(No. 22 – January 16, 2010 - 9 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement in regards to the death of His Excellency Hedi Annabi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), who was lost in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010:
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to offer my most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Annabi.
“Mr. Annabi was a man who dedicated himself to the service of peace, having worked extensively toward a political settlement in Cambodia for 10 years and subsequently serving with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The loss of Mr. Annabi is a loss for Canada and the world.
“Moreover, we mourn the death of the principal Deputy Special Representative, Luiz Carlos da Costa, and of the peacekeepers killed in the collapse of the headquarters of MINUSTAH. Canada remains steadfast in its support of this mission, which is critical to the stabilization and reconstruction of Haiti.”
MINUSTAH was established in 2004 to assist in the stabilization and reconstruction of Haiti. Canada contributes up to 100 civilian police officers to MINUSTAH, five military personnel serving in key positions in the Mission, and up to 10 Canadian corrections experts to assist in the development of Haiti’s corrections system.
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