In the heart of the Caribbean, a nation is striving to rise from the ashes. Haiti, a country that has been grappling with political chaos and rampant gang violence, has formed a new government in a bid to restore order and stability.
The new cabinet, which completely replaces all the ministers from the government of the former Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, was formed following months of political turmoil. Henry was forced to step down earlier this year by gangs which control large parts of Haiti. The announcement of the new cabinet comes two weeks after the country’s transitional government council appointed Garry Conille as interim prime minister.
Conille, who served as Haiti’s premier for a short period in 2011-2012, and was until recently regional director for UN aid agency UNICEF, will also take on the role of interior minister. The formation of a cabinet in Haiti is a further sign of efforts to bring back some political stability to a nation wracked by violence and uncertainty for many months.
The transitional council appointed people to all the key cabinet positions and their ministers. Carlos Hercules, Conille’s attorney, will be the minister for justice and public security. Haiti’s ambassador to Unesco, Dominique Dupuy, will be the foreign affairs minister. Princeton-educated Ketleen Florestal takes over the finance ministry from Michel Patrick Boisvert, who also served as interim prime minister this year.
However, the task in front of the new cabinet is monumental. Gangs still control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and gang leaders refuse to recognise the legitimacy of the interim council or any of the transitional leadership. 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.
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 materialise.
The newly appointed government faces the immediate challenge of curbing the violence that has displaced 580,000 people and exacerbated the food and healthcare crises. The violence has affected food security and humanitarian aid access, with much of the city in the hands of gangs accused of abuses including murder, rape, looting and kidnappings.
As Haiti forms its new government, the world watches with bated breath. Will this be the dawn of a new era for Haiti, or will the persistent gang violence continue to cast a long shadow over the nation’s future? Only time will tell.
