IN HAITI THEATER OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN GANGS AN AIR BRIDGE FOR HUMANITARIAN AID  IS PUT IN PLACE

The UN mission also specified that a fraction of staff would be temporarily relocated "outside" the territory, while the arrival of other "crisis" staff was expected. This decision is not unique: the European Union announced on Monday that it had evacuated all of its personnel from Haiti. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné also said France's "non-essential personnel" had been evacuated from the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday morning.

In addition, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed hope on Wednesday that the new Haitian transition council could be formed "in the coming days", which would allow the deployment of a security force in the country plagued by gangs.

A country plagued by gangs

Indeed, since the end of February, the capital Port-au-Prince has been the scene of violence. Militias target strategic sites such as the presidential palace, police stations and prisons. Administrations and schools in the Haitian capital are closed due to clashes between the police and armed gangs, which increased during the weekend of March 9. Militias have attacked hospitals, forcing medical teams to flee with patients - including newborns - according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Since February 29, more than 160,000 civilians have been displaced in the Port-au-Prince region. Yanick Lahens, winner of the 2014 Femina Prize for her novel "Bain de Lune", has "never experienced such violence" in her country, which is going through an acute political and security crisis.

The departure of Ariel Henry, the Prime Minister, was one of the major priorities of the armed factions. In the absence of a president and Parliament - the last head of state, Jovenel Moïse, having been assassinated in 2021 - Haiti has not organized elections since 2016. Ariel Henry, accused by the Port-au-Prince prosecutor's office Prince of the murder of Jovenel Moïse, should have left office at the beginning of February. On February 28, he agreed to "share power" with the opposition, as part of an agreement stipulating elections within a year. However, this concession was not considered sufficient: Jimmy Chérizier, an influential gang leader nicknamed "Barbecue", had made threats on Tuesday March 5, referring to a "civil war leading to genocide" if Ariel Henry remained in power. .

Finally, the head of the Haitian government, who was stuck in the American territory of Puerto Rico, gave in to pressure from regional partners. His departure was announced during an emergency meeting bringing together Caricom members and UN representatives in Jamaica. “The government that I lead cannot remain indifferent to this situation. As I have always stated, no sacrifice is too great for our homeland, Haiti,” declared Ariel Henry.

A transitional governance agreement

Following the announcement of Ariel Henry's resignation, Guyana and Caricom President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said he was "happy" to announce "a transitional governance agreement paving the way for a peaceful transition of power ". According to him, this outcome should lead to “a short-term action plan in terms of security” and “free and fair elections”.

According to Haitian writer Yanick Lahens, the gangs "have national and especially international sponsors." Indeed, due to its geographical position, Haiti is an ideal place of passage for all traffic. “The less institutions function, the more it suits these people,” she says. She also denounces “a collusion between part of the political class” and the gangs.

However, there remains "hope", according to her, which is "outside Port-au-Prince, which is a monster which devours and hides the rest of the country". There is "another country in which there are very few police officers” or even “no police officers at all, and where things work".