Download

Download Full Text (419 KB)

Description

Current Political Climate in Haiti

Events are rapidly evolving in Haiti with each week bringing a new crisis and leading some to say the country is at risk of state failure. Haiti held its last presidential election in 2016 and its parliament last voted in 2019. At the start of this year, the remaining democratically elected government officials formally vacated their positions as their terms ended. After President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in 2021 and the resignation of the unelected and unpopular de facto prime minister Ariel Henry, Fritz Bélizaire was chosen as the new prime minister by a transitional council at the end of April--meaning the Haitian populace has had no part in selecting its current government.

With doubts concerning the state’s credibility and the legitimacy of its leaders, there are estimates of over 200 gangs vying for territory and power within Haiti. Some gangs are hoping to set up their own governing council to rule the country and have signaled they will not recognize the appointed coalition established by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) international partners.

In recent months, armed gangs united to carry out coordinated attacks on ports, airports, and government buildings. In early March, gangs stormed two of Haiti’s largest prisons, releasing thousands of prisoners and sending the country into a state of emergency. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that 1,436 non-violent actors were killed between January and March 20245 and this surge of violence led to over 360,000 displaced people nationwide. Now 4.35 million people, nearly half the population, are facing food insecurity, and 1.4 million are facing emergency levels of hunger.7

In early May, the Biden administration approved a 60-million- dollar military aid package attempting to curb some of the gang violence by equipping the Haitian National Police with weapons and equipment.

Publication Date

6-5-2024

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/NLRY9529

GNSI Decision Brief: Beyond Intervention: Sustainable Solutions for Haiti’s Security Needs

Share

COinS