Between 1993 and 1997, the United Nations (UN) dispatched three missions to Haiti. The UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was established in 1993 to monitor a peace agreement between rival factions. In 1996, the Haitian government requested a UN peacekeeping force, and the UN Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) arrived the same year. The following year an additional UN mission was sent to Haiti, the UN Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH).
Canadian troops comprised more than half of all three UN missions, a significant presence that was primarily due to the fact that the Canadian Armed Forces has several Francophone units. The 3rd Battalion, Le Royal 22e Régiment comprised the majority of the Canadian military contingent. The UNSMIH force of 1,600 had 752 Canadian troops and 100 civilian police officers. The 1,250-strong UNTMIH contained 650 Canadian soldiers and 60 civilian police officers.
