Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned, potentially sparking a power struggle that could have broad implications for the hemisphere’s poorest nation and the US.
Henry’s resignation will be effective upon the creation of a transitional council that will appoint an interim prime minister and prepare for elections, according to Guyana President Irfaan Ali. He is the current chair of the Caricom, a Caribbean regional body that has been meeting to find a resolution to the crisis in Haiti.
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“Haitians deserve a country where children can go to school and their parents know they will be safe,” Ali said in a news conference late Monday. “We implore all parties, all stakeholders, all Haitians to be patient.”
Henry, who left Haiti on February 25 to build support for a multinational security force led by Kenya, has been unable to return to the country, as gangs have attacked the capital and closed the main airport. The Biden administration has called on Henry to support a transition of power as the situation deteriorates. Last weekend, gangs set the Interior Ministry ablaze overnight and attacked police stations and government offices in the capital.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in meetings with Caricom in Jamaica on Monday, delivering a pledge for an additional $100 million from the US for a multinational peacekeeping force waiting for deployment to Haiti.
Washington earlier sought to support Henry long enough to call for new elections. But that position was challenged over the past few weeks, as gangs have emptied prisons, burned police stations and laid siege to the international airport. More than 1 200 people have been murdered in 2024, and the UN estimates that about half the population is going hungry.
Henry left Haiti on February 25 to meet with Caribbean leaders in Guyana and hammer out a deal in Kenya that would open the doors for a UN-backed security force. He has been unable to return home since. The plane he was traveling in was denied access to the Dominican Republic — which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
With the Prime Minister absent, other forces have started trying to fill the vacuum. One new political alliance involves former policeman Guy Philippe and ex-presidential candidate and senator Moise Jean Charles. Philippe was behind a 2004 coup and spent several years in US prison on money laundering charges.
In addition, Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, a former policeman turned gang leader, warned that if Henry returned it would unleash a “civil war” and “genocide.” While gangs have existed in Haiti for decades, they’ve grown powerful amid government and private-sector complicity. Today, they control about 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince and large parts of the countryside.
Cherizier’s alliance claims to have 1,000 members, made up mainly of former police, security guards and children.
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People who have been charged, indicted or convicted in any jurisdiction won’t be able to participate in the political transition, Ali said. That effectively rules out Philippe, who has said he has aspirations to run for higher office.
Henry was swept into power in the wake of the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. While he enjoyed international backing, in Haiti he was often seen as an unelected autocrat who used the gang violence as an excuse to keep putting off elections.
Despite his unpopularity, Washington, the UN and others rallied behind him, short-circuiting other attempts to build a coalition government.
The US has provided more than $5.5 billion to Haiti since 2010. Its $100 million pledge this week brings it total commitment to finance the Kenyan-led peace mission to $300 million.
© 2024 Bloomberg
