Exclusive: Haiti PM urges U.S. Congress to pass trade law, calls for greater global focus to tackle underestimated crisis 

BROOKLYN— Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille emphasized the need for the international community to deliver on promises made to support his transitional government, particularly in addressing Haiti’s security crisis. While in town for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Conille made a stop at the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in East Flatbush, where he also called on Haitian Americans to pressure Congress to pass the HOPE Act before the November elections.

“If we’re not going to have at least 2,500 [troops]—at least, which was what was committed to—then we need to have a plan B,” Conille said, in an exclusive interview with The Haitian Times. 

“The crisis in Haiti has long been underestimated, and the past few weeks have given us clear indication of how underestimated it has been,” he said.

The Prime Minister, who is navigating a highly volatile political and social landscape, underscored the urgency for greater international engagement, particularly with the U.N. Security Council’s commitment to deploying troops to assist the Haitian police force. The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission has sent around 400 police officers to Haiti, far fewer than the 2,500 initially committed. Conille stressed that Haiti, with its police force severely depleted and under-resourced, cannot afford to lose this critical international support.

“We will still require a certain [level] of engagement and commitment from the international community,” he said. “At least equivalent to what was promised.”

Referring to the U.N. mission, Conille said, “At the end of October, there’s going to be an assessment of the mission itself as part of the review of the resolution. This is a time when you evaluate how well and how effective the mission has been.” 

Later in the evening, as he addressed about 200 Haitians in the basement of the church, Conille also expressed concerns about the severity of the crisis in Haiti being underestimated. Looking weary and speaking in his typical soft tone, Conille spoke about the “entrenched” corruption being the worst he has ever seen in his career and the need to provide socio-economic support to all Haitians.

“This is about 4,000 people holding 12 million hostage,” Conille told the group, referring to the number of suspected gang members to the overall population of Haiti. 

“This is not gonna be easy. It is not going to be quick. It’s going to require all our resources — all our efforts,” he said.

Haitian Americans’ role in U.S. advocacy

With the U.S. presidential elections just weeks away, Conille said the Haitian Diaspora must act swiftly and decisively to advocate for policies beneficial to Haiti. One such priority, he noted, is the passage of the HOPE Act, a trade agreement that provides preferential access for Haitian goods to the U.S. market, with the potential to sustain tens of thousands of jobs in Haiti’s textile sector.

“This is the right time to talk to your congressman, talk to your senator if they’re running for election, and make sure we get this done before November,” Conille urged. 

“The HOPE Act is incredibly important to us because it guarantees right now between 12,000 to 15,000 jobs. That needs to happen to fund the recovery efforts.”

In addition to legislative advocacy, Conille highlighted the Diaspora’s potential role in Haiti’s ongoing constitutional reforms.

“We really want to see the Diaspora become a third economic force in Haiti because we think that’s extremely important,” Conille said. 

He called for efforts to create opportunities for Diaspora members to make investments that would help rebuild the nation. Conille went on to stress the need for more coordinated efforts among the Diaspora, particularly in addressing social and economic challenges in Haiti. 

“Because we have so many urgencies,” he said, “How do we work with the Diaspora to make sure that their contribution to social issues can really add value, by being more coordinated and more collaborative?”

As he spoke inside, a group standing across the street from the church shouted “sellout” in Creole and used other epithets linking Conille to past leaders of Haiti and the U.S. blamed for the current crises.

Overall, both Haitians and Americans felt encouraged about the prime minister’s visit. 

“[Some] folks said he appeared very sincere of the tasks that he has in front of him to help Haiti move forward,” said Samuel Nicolas, the senior pastor. “We felt like we have a chance with him if we can coalesce around him and help the push for the Americans to give him the help he needs. His hands are tied.”  

The post Exclusive: Haiti PM urges U.S. Congress to pass trade law, calls for greater global focus to tackle underestimated crisis  appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Exclusive: Haiti PM urges U.S. Congress to pass trade law, calls for greater global focus to tackle underestimated crisis  was first posted on September 25, 2024 at 2:53 pm.