Haiti’s Port-au-Prince As a prominent gang leader highlighted the difficulties facing the country by pledging to topple the government, a wealthy businessman was appointed chairman of Haiti’s transitional presidential council on Thursday, tasked with bringing order back to the devastated nation.
For the first time, members of Haiti’s private sector held both the prime ministership and the rotating presidency, which share executive responsibilities, when Laurent Saint-Cyr was appointed to the council’s heavily guarded office in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs control 90% of the neighborhoods.
Haiti’s current prime minister used to run an internet company, and Saint-Cyr began his career at a small insurance company.
As he took office, Saint-Cyr declared, “Our nation is experiencing one of the worst crises in its history.” “Beautiful speeches are out of style. Now is the moment to take action.
Gang leader issues a warning
Gunfire broke out in areas of the city hours earlier as a strong gang federation that has long condemned Haiti’s billionaires vowed to topple the government.
In a social media video, Jimmy Ch. Rizier, also known as “Barbecue,” the leader of the Viv Ansanm gang, cautions locals against allowing his armed group unrestricted access to their neighborhoods in order to get to the council office.
With an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder and a protective vest on, Chrizier urges, “People of Haiti, take care of yourselves and help us in the battle to free the country.”
According to a statement from a U.N.-backed mission headed by Kenyan police, officers prevented possible attacks by increasing the number of armed personnel in specific neighborhoods and around vital infrastructure, as well as by conducting round-the-clock patrols.
“Armed gangs had plotted to disrupt national stability and render the country ungovernable,” it stated.
A call for order
Saint-Cyr expressed gratitude to the private sector, which he described as the backbone of Haiti’s economy, as well as to all national and international players who have contributed to the country. Despite coming from the private sector, he stated that he would treat everyone fairly.
Prior to this, Saint-Cyr was president of both Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti. He will collaborate with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aim, a former president of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a former president of an internet company in Haiti.
Security was a top priority, according to Saint-Cyr. He urged the military to step up operations and urged foreign allies to provide further training, send more troops, and support a mission that is short-staffed and underfunded.
“We must restore state authority,” he stated. “The challenges we face are certainly linked to insecurity, but they also are the result of our lack of courage, a lack of vision and our irresponsibility.”
He asked why the government wasn’t providing Haitians with the health and education they were entitled to. “Mister prime minister, assume your responsibilities!” he exclaimed.
In a letter to Saint-Cyr, 58 organizations from nations that include the US accused the council of failing to uphold its legal duties to Haiti’s women and girls.
They declared, “Collective rape is endemic,” adding that sexual violence has increased as gangs continue their rampage. The groups also charged that the Haitian government is “completely absent” from shelters that provide essential services to victims of sexual assault.
People have been complaining more and more about Haiti’s private sector taking the lead. For a long time, a number of Haiti’s affluent elites and influential politicians have been charged for arming and funding several gangs.
At a hospital in downtown Port-au-Prince, 44-year-old teacher Marline Jean-Pierre braved gunshots to visit a friend. “The elites have always wanted power, and they have always wanted to control Haiti, and now they’re in control,” she said.
She accused prior council presidents of making unfulfilled promises and stated that she no longer had optimism that anything will change.
Her words, “Nothing really happened,” “Young women are being raped, families are being dismantled.”
But scores more Haitians gathered outside the council’s headquarters to support Saint-Cyr, brandishing banners with his picture on them and wearing white T-shirts.
Hours later, there were skirmishes between Saint-Cyr’s supporters and opponents.
“Even though he’s a mulatto with good hair, he’s Haitian,” a supporter remarked of Saint-Cyr, who shares Fils-Aim’s status as a member of the nation’s small but influential, lighter-skinned elite.
“Stay alert!”
Haitians tweeted a barrage of violent warnings in the hopes that people would stay safe as the nation got ready for Saint-Cyr’s swearing-in event.
“There will be gunfire in the capital, both in front of and behind you. “Be careful!” read one message.
One person was killed and another injured Thursday while driving into Port-au-Prince, according to Tripotay Lakay, a local news website, though it was not clear how that occurred. A woman’s body is shown sagging in a car in a social media video.
On Tuesday afternoon, there was still a lot of gunfire in the downtown area of Port-au-Prince, and local media reported that multiple people were hurt. There were also faint explosions from drones flown by police.
There were also reports of violence in Kenscoff, a formerly tranquil farming community perched above Port-au-Prince’s hills.
The expedition supported by the United Nations reported losing two armored vehicles when they got stuck in gang-dug trenches. It said that despite being attacked with Molotov cocktails, Kenyan police officers “courageously held their ground, inflicting significant damage on the assailants.” Three officers were slightly hurt.
Suspected gang members can be seen shouting and smiling in social media videos as they encircle one of the armored vehicles, which was later set on fire.
“Come get it back if you can!” taunts one of the gunmen.
A request for additional officers
The U.N.-backed mission said in a report released Thursday that it has 991 employees, significantly fewer than the 2,500 that were anticipated, and that its trust fund has roughly $112 million, or 14% of the estimated $800 million required annually.
According to the mission, it lacks air support for operations and can only deploy 200 officers at a time due to a lack of trucks and other equipment.
As the mission pointed out, “Partisan infighting within the transitional government has had the effect of paralyzing the government and emboldening the gangs.” The government is still in a precarious position.
Eight individuals, including a three-year-old child and an Irish missionary, were recently abducted from an orphanage by gangs in Kenscoff. They are still unaccounted for.
More than 1.3 million individuals have been displaced in recent years due to continuous violence, which increased after President Jovenel Mo se was killed in July 2021.
Between April and the end of June, Haiti saw at least 1,520 fatalities and over 600 injuries. According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, security forces’ operations against gangs accounted for almost 60% of the deaths and injuries, while self-defense organizations were held accountable for an additional 12%.
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