Haiti decrees long-awaited transition council, but questions remain
Port-au-Prince Reuters Haiti’s government on Friday issued a decree formalising the creation of a nine-member transitional presidential council, a long-delayed move intended as the first step in restoring security to the gang-ravaged Caribbean country. The decree, however, leaves many questions unanswered. It does not name the new council members or establish a timeframe for its […]
Diplomats push for progress on Haiti transition as death toll mounts
Reuters Diplomats at a regional Americas body on Wednesday urged Haitian politicians to move forward with a delayed plan to replace Prime Minister Ariel Henry with a transitional council, a move which could trigger the long-awaited deployment of an international security force. The transitional council – agreed with the mediation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) […]
Hundreds of rights groups urge US to stop deporting Haitians fleeing gang war
Reuters Nearly 500 immigration and human rights organisations signed a letter urging the US Government to halt deportations of Haitians and expand migration protections as a devastating gang conflict escalates on the Caribbean island nation. The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a San Diego-based non-profit, published a letter on Wednesday together with 481 migration, human rights, religious […]
Ten killed in Port-au-Prince suburb as tensions rise in Haiti
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters At least 10 people were killed in a wealthy suburb of Haiti’s capital on Monday, there were reports of looting, and thefts of electricity equipment cut the power supply as lawlessness spread to affluent areas and gangs tightened their grip on the city. A Reuters witness saw at least ten dead bodies, […]
Calm in Haitian capital extends into second day as US eyes transition soon
Updated: 11:30am (AEDT) Port-au-Prince Reuters Haiti’s capital was calm on Wednesday two days after the prime minister said he would step down, but the US and UN began to withdraw staff in a sign they fear peace might not hold. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said on Monday he would resign from his post once a […]
After Prime Minister pledges to step down, uneasy quiet in Haiti capital
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters Uncertainty hung over Haiti’s political future on Tuesday after its Prime Minister said he would step down, a move welcomed by many Haitians exhausted by months of escalating gang violence, but with questions over security still to be settled. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, stranded in Puerto Rico, released a recorded video late […]
US pledges $US100 million more for Haiti security mission at Jamaica talks
Kingston, Jamaica Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States would contribute an additional $US100 million to a United Nations-backed multinational security force intended to help Haitian police fight gangs and $US33 million in humanitarian aid. This brings the proposed US contribution to the force to $US300 million. US Secretary […]
Essay: How Haiti became a failed state
NICHOLAS FORSANS, co-director of the Centre for Latin American & Caribbean Studies at Essex University in the UK, looks – in an article first published on The Conversation, at the background to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti…
Haiti healthcare near collapse, says UN, as state of emergency extended
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters Haiti’s government on Thursday said it would extend a state of emergency around Port-au-Prince for another month following a wave of gang violence that has threatened to bring down the government and led thousands to flee their homes. The UN humanitarian affairs agency on Thursday warned that the country’s health system was […]
US pushes for Haiti political transition as gang leader warns of “civil war”
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters The United States said on Wednesday it was calling on Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry to expedite a political transition as armed gangs seek his ouster amid a collapse in security and a humanitarian crisis. Henry, Haiti’s unelected interim leader, has been in the US territory of Puerto Rico since Tuesday, apparently […]