Violence is escalating in Haiti – armed gangs attacked government buildings and numerous diplomats left the country. The USA has now decided on further aid for the crisis state. But is that enough?
“The voices of Haitians must be a central part of any solution. People must feel and know that they have an essential role in planning and implementation,” emphasized Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness. Given the worrying situation in Haiti, the countries of the Caribbean Community CARICOM met yesterday to consider how to lead the country out of the acute crisis.
There is no easy solution. This has been discussed for months. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also traveled to Jamaica for the meeting.
An additional 100 million for the police mission
The United States supported the rapid deployment of a multinational police mission to strengthen the Haitian police force and provide security – the basis for holding free and fair elections. Blinken promised $100 million, on top of the $200 million already allocated for the upcoming police mission. However, nothing was initially known about exactly when this operation would take place.
In October last year, the United Nations gave the green light for an international police mission led by Kenya. However, this was delayed because the Supreme Court in Nairobi initially blocked the mission. But according to Kenyan Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, nothing now stands in the way of the operation. The legal basis is now in place. Most recently, Benin also promised to send around 2,000 security forces.
Escalation of violence
The situation has become unbearable for the Haitian population. According to the UN, there are now 362,000 internally displaced people in Haiti. The gangs rape, murder and kidnap, terrorize people and set their houses on fire. The recent escalation of violence could also be seen as a warning for upcoming international police operations. Or as a threat directed at the Haitian government to negotiate, observers say.
After a coalition of various gangs caused massive unrest and violence in the capital Port-au-Prince, Prime Minister Ariel Henry was no longer able to return home last week. He was in Kenya at that moment to sign the final agreements for the police mission with his counterpart. The neighboring country, the Dominican Republic, refused entry for security reasons. It is said that he has been in Puerto Rico ever since.
Gang leader styles himself as Robin Hood
Meanwhile, the leading gang boss Jimmy Chérizier styles himself as a savior, a kind of Robin Hood who wants to lead the country out of the crisis. He threatened civil war in front of journalists if Henry did not resign.
Henry increasingly lacks legitimacy. And international support is also crumbling. He took over the reins of government after the murder of Jovenel Moïse almost three years ago. He should have resigned in February, but has now announced that elections would take place by August next year. There have been no elections in the Caribbean country since 2016 – there is no elected parliament and no elected president.
USA puts pressure on Henry
Now the United States, which had previously always supported him, is also exerting pressure. Henry should carry out the political transition as quickly as possible: “We support the plan for a broad-based, inclusive, independent transition body to take the first steps and meet the immediate needs of the Haitian people.”
Blinken did not specify what the first steps might be to get closer to this goal. In the next few days, the countries of the Caribbean Community will continue to discuss CARICOM. But integrative figures who could take over the leadership of the country and lead the Caribbean state out of the political and economic crisis do not yet appear to be in sight.