Staff Writer

#TheBahamas, August 4, 2023 – The Bahamian Government is standing by Kenya which is considering to lead a multinational force in Haiti, sending 1000 police officers to be a part of that force as announced.  For this, The Bahamas is committed to send 150 people to support the cause.

This comes as the humanitarian crisis affecting the republic escalates.  They are waiting on authorization from the United Nations Security Council to make the next move, sending the 150 personnel to Haiti.

“We now urge the passing of a UN Security Council Resolution in support of this force,” The Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Bahamas’ decision comes following a request made by Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary General on Monday July 31st, 2023, for Haiti’s neighbors to join Kenya in its decision to help the republic, standing “with persons of African descent across the world,” as expressed by Alfred Mutua, Kenyan Foreign Minister.

Additionally, in its statement, The Bahamas highlighted that it was happy to work with Kenya, reiterating the goal to stand with people of “African descent,” including those in the Caribbean,” as well as other countries in the hemisphere.

“We also look forward to cooperating with hemispheric partners including the United States and Canada,” Nassau stated, further pointing out that The Bahamas will continue to support the CARICOM led Eminent Persons Group, which includes Perry Christie, former Bahamas prime minister and his colleagues Dr. Kenny Anthony of St Lucia, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and the Organization of American States’ Haiti Working Group chaired by Trinidad and Tobago.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023, commended Kenya for “considering to serve as the lead nation” for the multinational force and expressed support for its authorization from a UN Security Council Resolution.

These efforts are crucial to restoring Haiti to a properly functioning Caribbean Island like its neighboring islands. This was put forth in The Bahamas’ statement which said, “These regional and Diasporic approaches to addressing insecurity caused by gang violence are critical to creating a safe space to foster political consensus and to restore democratic order.”

Haiti is now getting the help it deserves following last month’s appeal by Guterres to the UN Security Council and major potential contributing countries, to quickly act towards the deployment of multinational forces to the country. Also, this comes after Dr. Ariel Henry, Haiti’s Prime Minister appealed to the UN for the “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity,” to combat worsening gang activity.

Staff Writer

#Haiti, June 5, 2023 – Haiti’s National Emergency Operation Center has been opened according to Dr. Ariel Henry, Prime Minister in addressing the people of his country; all due to heavy rain pouring down resulting in damage across the republic.

The rain which has been gushing over Haiti since June 1st, 2023, is expected to continue for the rest of the week, “three to five days,” according to Marcelin Esterlin, Director General of the Hydro-Meteorological Unit.

“This is not a situation that will improve in the coming hours because we have compact rain cells that have settled in the West and South-East departments, which explains why it’s raining all the time,” added Esterlin.

Additionally, authorities say the probability of rain was 65 percent for Monday and 85 percent for Tuesday.

The Government met and had talks on Saturday June 3rd, 2023, about the unfortunate position Haiti is in as rivers break their banks and floods continue to cover areas of the country alongside landslides, all causing significant damage.

Efforts are being made to help the situation as Rosemond Pradel, Public Works Minister, organized a task force and issued instructions to the Departmental Director to take the steps needed to intervene effectively in the “chefs-lieux” (chief towns) of departments and municipalities.

These actions taken by the Government will serve to be of great help as authorities report towns flooded in the North West, unfortunately leaving many homeless.

In fact, roads in Port-au-Prince, the capital, have become impassable.  Mudslides have also been reported in the capital as well as other regions.

Also, healthcare is negatively affected as hospitals and health centers in the Léogâne region have been flooded, and the situation has been worsened with canals that have not been cleaned which is known to make flooding more severe.

Haiti’s unfortunate reality comes as the Caribbean region enters the first leg of the El Niño Phase that brings severe weather patterns such as dry spells and increased rainfall with a threat of hurricanes.

Caption of Haitian PM press conference

Accompagné des ministres des #TPTC, de la Défense, de l’Environnement, je suis présentement au Centre d’opération d’urgence national (#COUN), dans le cadre des dispositions urgentes à prendre en vue de venir en aide aux populations sinistrées, victimes des intempéries qui s’abattent sur le pays.

Staff Writer

#Haiti, February 2, 2023 – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has expressed what it described as deep concern over contrasting incidents involving the Haitian National Police that indicate the severity of the challenges that the police face, as well as a further breakdown in security in Haiti.

The concern comes as last week, police officers reportedly blocked streets and forced their way into Haiti’s main airport, where Prime Minster Ariel Henry was arriving from a trip to Argentina, to protest the recent killing of more than a dozen of their colleagues by armed gangs. The rioting officers blamed the government for not taking action.

In a statement on Saturday, January 28, the regional body said it strongly condemns the killing of police officers and expressed condolences to the families of the officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, noting that “ the anger and dismay of the police at the gruesome killings of their colleagues, 78 killed since July 2021 and 14 to date this January, are shared by all.”

However, CARICOM shunned the police’s response and their actions against Prime Minster Henry.

“Abandoning the role of the security forces to protect every citizen and maintain public order further destabilizes the country. The protest actions by members of the police service against the Prime Minister cannot be condoned,” CARICOM said.

Adding that: “CARICOM urges the members of the Haitian National Police to safeguard peace and order and refrain from actions which could only serve to foster even greater damage to the country and its people.”

Editorial Staff

#Haiti, January 24, 2023 – On the ground, Haitians are terrified.  The gangs they’d thought would be nuetralised by now, are thriving and have enveloped much of the impoverished country in a fog of fear.  Kidnappings, targeted killings of law enforcement and others who dare to speak out and raging control over parts of the almost leaderless Caribbean country have inspired even more attempts to flee; Haitian men, women and children are risking  it all in an unrelenting flow driven by hope and desperation.

Despite sanctions on so-called elites and allegedly corrupt ex-politicians and promises of military intervention to disarm the gangs terrorizing and threatening the government of Haiti, the occupation of US and Canadian soldiers is having little effect, it seems, on the worsening humanitarian crises, raising questions about the effectiveness of the strategy.

The US, Canada and others stepped up late last year with the intent to send a multinational military force into the Republic after Ariel Henry, Haitian Prime Minister publicly requested it in October 2022.

The request came after gangs demanded Henry’s resignation.

The United Nations reports that at least 60 percent of Haiti is controlled by the country’s 200 gangs; residents however say the footprint of lawlessness and takeover is much, much higher.  Police are afraid and are being slaughtered in the streets.

No one is coming when back-up is called.

Canada took the lead on the combined military charge, described by the UN as a security assistance mission and authenticated by a UN Security Council resolution. Canada, in November, had maintained they would not put significant boots on the ground until all Haitian leaders agreed on the decision.

While politicians fought amongst themselves on this tactic, assistance arrived in the form of Haitian-bought armoured vehicles for the police and sanctions began to be laid against certain Haitians. The list of those to be sanctioned and declared ‘enemies of the state’ was compiled by US and Mexican authorities and included gang leaders and other elites who were summarily placed under travel bans, had their assets frozen and were banned from purchasing arms and doing business in the US and Canada.

But that has not stopped the chaos and mere weeks into 2023, the final cohort of democratically  elected leaders dramatically left office;  their terms having expired in early January, collapsing the last shreds of democracy.

The US and Canada have met to discuss the situation, but no concrete way forward was announced other than the sanctioning of two more ‘elites’.

Despite Henry’s cry for help and the UN agreement, Bob Ray, Canadian ambassador to the UN, has indicated that major military operations in Haiti would not have a lasting impact on the Caribbean nation and Canada is instead looking at more long-term options.

“We have to admit there’s been a history of what I would call large-scale military interventions that have not worked,” Ray told Canadian media houses. “The question is what form of intervention would be the most sustainable, and that is what we are still discussing.”

The assessment comes as Henry indicated he hoped the multinational force would arrive in the country this year. And as the crisis worsens, Haitians have continued to finance their exodus, even in dangerously small boats, hungry for a taste of a better life, albeit on another shore and without the welcome mat.

Record numbers of migrants have now illegally turned up in countries like the Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the United States, exposing a worrying trend mere weeks into the New Year.

Staff Writer

#Haiti, January 15, 2023 – As of midnight on Monday, the last 10 senators in Haiti’s parliament stepped down from their position leaving the country without democratic rule.

Several gangs have assumed control of about two-thirds of the nation’s capital. Without a functioning democracy, regaining control of Port-au-Prince will prove futile.

The increase in gang violence has resulted in the closure of many hospitals and famine in several areas.  The hunger alert was raised to five in October last year as some 4.7 million people are facing hunger.

The World Food Program says this is a record high.

Former Prime Minister, Ariel Henry announced on New Year’s Day that a council would be formed to allow new elections. The proposal was rejected by several members of the Opposition as it is seen as illegitimate.

Staff Writer

#Haiti, November 2, 2022 – At least three people were killed between October 28 and October 30 in Haiti as the country continues to struggle even more with gang violence.

On Sunday, October 30, a Haitian journalist, Romelo Vilsaint, was killed after being shot in the head. Reports by The Associated Press are that police opened fire on reporters who were demanding the release of one of their colleagues, who were detained while covering a protest.

Vilsaint is said to have been a journalist for an online news site.  This attack happened mere days after a well-unknown Haitian journalist, Roberson Alphonse, escaped an assassination while on his way to work on Tuesday, October 25.

Meanwhile, on Friday, October 28th, a prominent leader and businessman, Eric Jean Baptiste and his bodyguard were killed in Laboule 12, Port-au-Prince.

Baptiste was reportedly on his way home around 9 PM when attackers opened fire on their vehicle.

Justice of the peace of Pétion-Ville, Clément Noël, told Haitian media company Le Nouvelliste that Baptiste’s car was riddled with over ten bullets.

“I saw 14 bullet holes. The attackers used large-calibre weapons. Some projectiles pierced level 4 (vehicle) armour.  I noticed a bullet hole in the back seat where Éric Jean Baptiste was sitting, which would have hit him in the pelvis.

“The driver’s body is unrecognizable.  His skull exploded.  He received several projectiles,” Noël described to the Le Nouvelliste.

Several Haitian officials and agencies have condemned Friday’s killings.

“We strongly condemn this heinous crime against this patriot, this moderate politician committed to change. We present, on behalf of the government and the people of Haiti, our sincere condolences to the families of the victims, to the RDNP and to the political class, today revolted by this heinous crime,” Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, said.

The embassies of the United States and France in Haiti have also expressed their views on the killing noting that they “strongly condemned the murder” of the former presidential candidate.

“The United States Embassy condemns the brutal murder of Éric Jean Baptiste of the RDNP as well as the murder of 6 people in Juvenat. We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased,” the embassy wrote on Twitter.

“The French Embassy in Haiti says it is horrified to learn and strongly condemns the assassination of Mr. Éric Jean-Baptiste, Secretary General of the RDNP. The Embassy sends its condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the deceased.  It calls on the Haitian authorities to take the necessary measures to find and punish the perpetrators of this crime,” the French embassy said.

No motive has been given for Friday’s attack.  However, reports are that it might be gang-related.

Staff Writer

#Haiti, October 13, 2022 – The government of Haiti has decided to seek aid from international forces to help deal with the significant rise in gang violence that has gravely impacted the country.

Reports are that the Haitian government authorised Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of Haiti to ask “Haiti’s international partners” to help with the “immediate deployment of a specialised armed force” to address the growing security crisis.

On Sunday, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urged the international community, including the UN Security Council, to consider “as of matter of urgency” the request by the Haitian government for the immediate deployment of an international specialized armed force in the country.

The Secretary-General said the force would address the humanitarian crisis, including securing the free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and healthcare facilities.

While addressing the Organization of American States (OAS) summit in Lima, Peru, on October 7, the Foreign Minister of Haiti, Jean Victor Genius, also made a plea for international police support, noting that the economic situation in his country was “catastrophic”.

During the OAS summit, the Secretary of State for the United States, Antony Blinken, said Washington was committed to restoring security in Haiti.

In recent months violence has increased throughout Haiti, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince, with armed gangs fighting for control of key roads and neighbourhoods.

In addition to this, the country has been facing a massive water shortage, the shutdown of ports, attacks on food depots and charities, the closure of hospitals and a delay in the start of the new school year. As if those issues weren’t enough, Haiti is now battling an outbreak of cholera.