The Haitian population, already severely affected by the rise of numerous armed gangs, must deal with the additional instability caused by the political impasse affecting the country.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who had committed to holding elections in order to cede power on February 7, announced this week that he intended to remain in office until the security situation allows the promised vote to take place.
He indicated on national television that “a transition does not lead to another transition”, thereby rejecting calls for resignation from many opposition actors.
PHOTO RALPH TEDY EROL, REUTERS ARCHIVES
A man raises his fist during a demonstration to demand the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Monday.
Several demonstrations demanding the departure of the prime minister, who has led the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, have taken place in recent weeks, leading to violent clashes in several places.
The United Nations said Friday that at least 16 people were killed and 29 others injured, most of them during clashes between regime opponents and security forces, from January 20 to February 7.
A deadly confrontation notably occurred in Port-au-Prince between police officers and armed members of an environmental brigade at odds with the government.
A police source told Agence France-Presse that five agents from the brigade, normally responsible for monitoring national parks, had been killed and three others arrested.
Diego Da Rin, analyst for the International Crisis Group, indicated that high-ranking members of the brigade are close to Guy Philippe, a former coup leader who for weeks has been calling on the population to demonstrate against the prime minister.
The former politician, who returned home in the fall after serving a prison sentence in the United States for money laundering linked to drug trafficking, visited many regions to call for an uprising.
PHOTO MERIDITH KOHUT, THE NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES
Former Haitian coup leader Guy Philippe in 2016, a few months before his arrest and extradition to the United States.
The street protest, however, risks running out of steam quickly, says Mr. Da Rin. The population, particularly in Port-au-Prince, “has other priorities than risking their lives every day to demonstrate” while armed gangs reign in terror, he said.
No less than 1,100 people, including 300 gang members, were killed during the month of January, three times more than during this period in 2023.
Kenya, Haiti’s next policeman?
Ariel Henry is calling for the deployment of an international security force which received approval last fall from the United Nations Security Council.
Kenya said it was willing to lead the operation by sending a thousand police officers, but a court in Nairobi recently blocked the initiative, stressing that an “arrangement” needed to be formalized between the two countries. to go forward.
Kenyan President William Roto assured that the issue would be resolved quickly and promised to move forward without waiting for the outcome of an appeal filed in court.
Mr. Da Rin notes that a contingent of a few hundred agents will initially be deployed in Haiti to take stock of the situation and develop a precise action plan. The mission should have around 5,000 people and have heavy weaponry.
The hope, notes the ICG representative, is that a few strong operations will be able to convince criminal groups to fall into line, a result that is uncertain to say the least.
The mixed record of the Kenyan police in terms of respect for human rights fuels fears of slippage even if the contingent to be deployed in the country brings together agents specially trained to work particularly in difficult urban environments.
A hypothetical appeasement on the security level would be likely to facilitate the holding of elections, but does not change anything for the moment in the wave of criticism targeting Ariel Henry.
The opposition is “fragmented and heterogeneous”, but almost unanimously calls for his departure, notes Mr. Da Rin. “People have less and less confidence in the Prime Minister’s promise” to hold elections, notes the analyst.
As for the population, they are experiencing “more and more frustration” as they see that chaos is becoming more widespread and that daily life is becoming more and more difficult, he adds.
“Humanitarian disaster”
The United Nations, which speaks of a real “humanitarian catastrophe”, notes in a recent report that almost half of Haitians, or 5.5 million people, need direct aid to survive.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the violence and find themselves in overcrowded areas where there is a lack of drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, fueling the risk of cholera.
PHOTO ODELYN JOSEPH, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Young Haitians, who had to leave their homes because of armed violence, take shelter in a public school.
“Even if improving the security situation is a precondition for breaking the cycle of crises in Haiti, long-term stability will only be achieved by addressing the root causes of poverty, social and economic discrimination. , but also corruption,” warned the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Friday.