New Haitian Prime Minister Appointed Amid Escalating Violence and Urgent Need for International Security Support
On Tuesday, Haiti’s transitional government council appointed a new prime minister to lead the troubled Caribbean nation, selecting Garry Conille, who briefly served in this role from 2011 to 2012, according to council members.
The decision was made with a 6-1 vote, as confirmed by a council member to AFP, and was announced on social media by council president Edgard Leblanc and member Fritz Alphonse Jean.
This decision comes amid Haiti’s urgent wait for the deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force intended to reclaim control from powerful gangs dominating parts of the capital.
The UN-supported security mission, receiving logistical backing but not troops from the United States, aims to bolster Haiti’s weak and under-resourced police force in combating these gangs.
Armed groups, which also exert control over extensive rural areas, have long plagued ordinary Haitians with random shootings, kidnappings, and sexual violence.
Haiti has endured decades of poverty, natural disasters, political turmoil, and violence. The country has been without a president since Jovenel Moise’s assassination in 2021 and lacks a functioning parliament.
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The transitional council took charge last month following the resignation of Haiti’s unpopular and unelected prime minister, Ariel Henry, who stepped down after armed gangs demanded his removal.
The last election took place in 2016, and the transitional council faces challenges in asserting its authority amid food shortages, mass displacements, and a collapsing healthcare system.
Haiti’s main airport partially reopened earlier this month, having been closed since early March due to a coordinated gang uprising aimed at overthrowing Henry.
The urgency for deploying the Kenyan security force increased last week after gang members killed three missionaries, including a Haitian and an American couple.
A significant concern now is how the gangs will react to the arrival of the Kenyan-led force.
Haiti, home to 11.6 million people, has long suffered from poverty, political instability, and natural disasters, making it the poorest country in the Americas.
New Haitian Prime Minister Appointed Amid Escalating Violence and Urgent Need for International Security Support