A look at the first 30 days of Conille’s transition government 

PORT-AU-PRINCE– The transition government led by Prime Minister Garry Conille has just completed its first month since its installation at the helm of the gang-ravaged country. After just 30 days, it is perhaps too early to have a fair assessment of this government, installed amidst an accelerating multidimensional crisis.

Apart from the dismissal of the former commander-in-chief of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Frantz Elbé, installation of a new director general at the head of the law enforcemen institution, Normil Rameau, and giving Haitians a sense of optimism,  the transition government has yet to take any significant decision.

Government officials  have been multiplying meetings locally and internationally, notably Conille’s  trip to the United States bringing him to Florida, Washington and New York in search of support. 

However, the challenges remain colossal from every corner. And Haitians are still awaiting the first major operation and a well-orchestrated plan aiming to curb the rampant insecurity, particularly in Port-au-Prince, the capital and its surrounding areas.

Met with Prime Minister @ConilleGarry and Foreign Minister @DominiqueAyiti of Haiti to reinforce our steadfast support for the Haitian people. pic.twitter.com/FnvpiRqvdW

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 2, 2024

Following is some crucial areas where Haitians awaiting actions from the government.

Security is the government’s main challenge, some say

At this level, the government has just declared a state of security emergency in 14 municipalities in the West and Artibonite departments. In an address to the nation on July 17, Prime Minster Conille affirmed that the final objective was to regain control of “all areas controlled by gangs, house by house, district by district and city by city.”

Despite the decree, concrete actions have yet to be taken against the powerful gangs controlling over 80% of the Haitian capital and its metropolitan areas. 

However, on the afternoon of July 17, Haitian and Kenyan police officers were noticed in several streets of the capital, and the crackling of automatic weapons was heard. But it only lasted for a brief moment. On the contrary, until mid-July, it was the bandits who had been chasing the police. Even the premises of certain specialized police forces continued to be attacked by armed gangs.

In recent violence escalation, no fewer than three police stations were attacked, looted and demolished by these armed bandits. They have destroyed at least two dozens police stations since the beginning of in 2024 , according to information provided by the Haitian National Police Union (SPNH-17). Police stations in seven municipalities in the country were deserted, including three in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and four in  other areas of the West department. 

Consequently, several municipalities have escaped the control of the country’s leaders.

Police officers are constantly targeted, particularly in communities taken hostage by gangs. 

Gressier, Carrefour and Ganthier are the latest municipalities threatened in the West department. According to Lionel Lazarre, coordinator of SYNAPOHA—another police union,  23 police officers have been shot and killed since the start of the year.  

As a result, during his first joint press briefing with the MSS chief commander on July 8, the new director general of the PNH, promised to take bold actions and urgent security measures.

“My presence and that of the Kenyan general testify to our determination, our leadership as a force of order, to let the bandits, who think they can continue to terrorize the population, know that playtime is over,” Normil said. “Meetings,” he added, “are already being held with the Kenyan forces with the aim of providing appropriate responses within the standard of the operational trilogy, to effectively and efficiently address the problem of insecurity.”

These promises were renewed by Conille during his address to the nation last week, emphasizing that  the government will would not allow armed groups to continue to hold the population hostage. 

“Restoring order and security in the capital is one of the transition team’s top priorities,” the Haitian prime minister said. “I and the presidential council [CPT] will implement a set of concrete and decisive measures to combat insecurity and restore peace in the country once and for all. This is the result of several weeks of planning and discussions with the PNH supported by the Kenyan forces, the armed forces of Haiti, and the country’s intelligence services.” 

Allow displaced people to return home

For many victims and displaced by gang violence, actions speak louder than words. They need to see all police officers return to their posts, providing security in their communities and allowing them to safely return home.

According to a June  report published by the International Organization for Migration (OIM), about 580,000 Haitians have been forced to leave the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area because of criminal activities. Many of them also live in makeshift camps without any reception structure. Alongside security, allowing these people to regain their homes and their dignity constitutes one of the major challenges that the government must address, many observers argued.

Prime Minister Conille saw the deployment of the first 400 Kenyan police officers in the country as an important step in the process of allowing the displaced to return to their homes.

 “This is a vision, a strategy of this government to bring security to the territory, to allow more than 500,000 people who had to leave their homes to return, with a view to a recovery of different socio-economic activities, to move towards elections as soon as possible,” he said shortly after the installation of the new government.

But a month later, things have not moved in the anticipated direction. People continue to flee their homes as gangs are hunting them. In Gantheir, for instance, the PNH has, of course, regained control of the partially damaged police station but it is unable to repel the criminal gangs of this town, where a deadly attack left more than 25 killed and several kidnappings.

At Carrefour, the situation is hardly different. The armed gangs who come to settle in the area continually occupy the homes of peaceful citizens.

 “In several neighborhoods people receive instructions inviting them to leave their houses chosen by bandits,” a local resident said. “We are living the worst nightmare of our existence. We cannot undertake any serious economic and social activities,” he told The Haitian Times.

Reinvigorate the country’s morbid economy

The mere presence of gangs has had an impact economic on their areas of settlement. The whole country is paying the high price. In Port-au-Prince, most only few businesses continue to operate. The lower part of the city is completely empty. Some companies have relocated and others have had to close their doors indefinitely.

The Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and the Conille government have held several meetings with business leaders in the country. The idea is to ensure them that the state will take necessary measures to create adequate conditions for the resumption of economic activities, particularly in the  Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and its neighboring communities.

“I want to assure industrialists, entrepreneurs, artisans, and all other trades of my government’s commitment to working in concert with other sectors of national life, for the recovery of the business climate in the country,” the Haitian prime minister said while attending the Made In Haiti (MIH) Expo, a business fair held at the El Rancho Hotel on July 13.

Also, during a meeting between the head of government and members of the textile industry on June 27, discussions focused on the issue of insecurity and the strengthening of the industrial sector, particularly the textile and apparel sub-sector.

Conille promised to adopt certain measures facilitating a swift economy recovery such as tax exemptions, imports of raw materials, improvement of customs procedures, strengthening of border controls, and seeking renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunities Program in partnership with the U.S., also known as HOPE and HELP.

Due to the security crisis, more than 50% of employees in the sector have lost their jobs. According to members of Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH, at the Caracol industrial park and Industrial Development Company (CODEVI) free zones, in the Northeast department, the number of employees has decreased from 14,000 to 3,000 and from 20,000 to 17,000, respectively.

Free the schools

Despite enormous challenges, the transitional government continues to believe in better days. Officials understand that they have a lot to do to free schools that are occupied by displaced people and armed gangs. 

 “The process that has just begun will not be easy, and I want to take this opportunity to assure you that it will not be quick. I want to make this clear to you. The example of countries like El Salvador, Jamaica, and Colombia, which have ten times more resources compared to Haiti, confirms that the battle to normalize a country requires time and the participation of the entire society. But remember, the battle will be won.”

Garry Conille, Prime Minister of Haiti

According to a recent UNICEF report, over a quarter of schools in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince are still unable to function.

A recent evaluation carried out by the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) and UNICEF relieved that more than 500 out of 976 schools have been either dysfunctional or inaccessible, while 54 of them have been completely closed for several months, largely due to rivalries between armed groups, clashes between gangs and the police, or problems of access for teachers in these areas.

Nearly 8% of the schools assessed are still occupied by armed gangs for the most part, and by displaced families. Due to insecurity, the number of students in classrooms decreased from 270,000 in April to 218,000 in May.

“Closing schools makes children more vulnerable and more exposed to abuse, exploitation, and recruitment by armed groups,” Bruno Maes, UNICEF representative, said. “It is the vicious circle of violence which leads to the closure of schools, which in turn drives children into the streets where they are easily recruited, which later will further fuel the violence.”

Important interventions need in the judicial system, human rights advocates say 

Justice is also among the major projects that the government should address. From 2020 to 2024, the Haitian justice system experienced moments of chronic dysfunction, not only because of political turbulence and unrest by judicial personnel but also due to the deteriorating security climate in the country.

Like the police, judicial infrastructures are constantly targeted by troublemakers. It is a dysfunctional sector, to say the least, as evidenced by various reports from human rights organizations. In a report published in October 2023, the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) highlighted a set of important legal issues in backlog.

The human rights organization deplores the fact that judicial investigations have not yet been completed, even though some of these crimes were committed almost five years ago. Among others, the La Saline massacre case, the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, the double assassination of activist Antoinette Duclair and journalist Diego Charles, and the assassination of Monferrier Dorval, president of the Bar Association of Port-au-Prince.

Aware of the situation, Prime Minister Conille has instructed the Miinister of Justice and Public Security, Carlos Hercule, to take all necessary measures to quickly strengthen the judicial system and continue making progress. “A strong judicial system without party spirit is the foundation of any secure society,” maintained the head of government. He also promised to work on strengthening justice and fighting corruption to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their status, are equal before the law.

Everything counts. Even without starting with dazzling actions, the Prime Minister guarantees that the country will recover. However, as he put it, the battle will be long.

 “The process that has just begun will not be easy, and I want to take this opportunity to assure you that it will not be quick,” he recently conceded. “I want to make this clear to you. The example of countries like El Salvador, Jamaica, and Colombia, which have ten times more resources compared to Haiti, confirms that the battle to normalize a country requires time and the participation of the entire society. But remember, the battle will be won,” Conille said.

Overall and on top of the challenges outlined above, the transition government is tasked more importantly with combating the gang-fueled insecurity, establishing institutional structures—notably the provisional electoral council (CEP)—that will facilitate the organization of general elections in 2025 to put the country back on the path of democracy. 

During his inauguration speech on June 12, Conille laid out a bold agenda, pledged swift action to tackle the problems that have troubled Haiti for years.                                                                            

“I commit before you, fellow citizens, to serve our nation with integrity, transparency, and dedication,” Conille declared, his voice resolute. “My government will work tirelessly to improve the living conditions of every Haitian. Together, we will build a more secure and prosperous future and restore the dignity of our people.”

The post A look at the first 30 days of Conille’s transition government  appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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A look at the first 30 days of Conille’s transition government  was first posted on July 23, 2024 at 4:50 pm.