Haiti forms new government as gang violence persists
Haiti has formed a new government to restore order to the violence-stricken nation.
The new cabinet entirely replaces all ministers from the previous administration of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was ousted by gangs earlier this year.
This announcement comes two weeks after the country’s transitional government council appointed Garry Conille as interim prime minister. Conille will also serve as interior minister, according to a decree published in Haiti’s official gazette.
The formation of this new cabinet signals ongoing efforts to bring political stability to a country plagued by violence and uncertainty for many months.
The transitional council has appointed individuals to all key cabinet positions, a spokeswoman confirmed.
Garry Conille’s attorney, Carlos Hercules, will be the minister of justice and public security, while Haiti’s ambassador to UNESCO, Dominique Dupuy, will serve as the foreign affairs minister.
Princeton-educated Ketleen Florestal will take over the finance ministry from Michel Patrick Boisvert, who also served as interim prime minister earlier this year.
While some Haitians are hopeful about these initial steps toward normalcy, particularly following the recent reopening of the country’s international airport, others remain deeply concerned about the challenges facing the new cabinet.
the recent re-opening of the country’s international airport, others remain deeply worried about the scale of the task in front of the new cabinet.
Gangs still control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and gang leaders refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the interim council or any of the transitional leadership.
Last year a UN-backed security force, to be led by Kenya, was promised as a boost to struggling Haitian police, but it has not yet been deployed.
A planned deployment of around 1,000 Kenyan police officers to try to restore order is still yet to materialize although Kenyan President William Ruto did reiterate his support for the plan in an interview with the BBC last month.
Mr Henry agreed to step down in March after armed groups blocked his return to the country from Kenya, where he had gone for talks with President Ruto.
Gangs capitalized on the power vacuum left by the prime minister’s exit and expanded their control over swathes of the country, which has effectively become lawless in places.
The situation in Haiti was described as “cataclysmic” by the United Nations in a report published last month.
It said more than 1,500 people had been killed and 800 injured in the first three months of 2024.
The report detailed the “harrowing practices” of the gangs, which are accused of using extreme violence and sexual abuse as a means of punishment and control.
Aid groups have reported difficulties in getting food and water into the capital, warning that millions are unable to find sustenance – with some on the verge of famine.
Haiti’s problems worsened after the presidential assassination of Jovenel Moïse in 2021 threw the nation into upheaval. Gangs have expanded their control over the country while displacing thousands of civilians.
The country has had no president since the assassination and it has no sitting parliament.
