Haiti Announces Nationwide State of Emergency Ahead of Blinken’s Visit
Haiti’s interim prime minister Garry Conille states that the army and national police have been equipped with weapons to assist in reclaiming territories seized by gangs.
Haiti has extended its state of emergency nationwide as the army and police work to regain control from violent gangs.
The announcement was made a day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.
Haiti consists of 10 provinces known as departments.
In March, then-Prime Minister Henry declared a state of emergency in the Ouest department, including the capital Port-au-Prince, after violence paralyzed the city and led to a jailbreak by thousands of prisoners.
The state of emergency was later expanded to the Artibonite, Centre, and Nippes departments, and was further extended to cover the entire country by Conille on Wednesday.
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Prior to this, Conille confirmed the distribution of weapons and resources to aid the Haitian army and police in repossessing lawless territories overtaken by gangs.
Stabilization Efforts
The United States is the primary funder of a U.N.-supported security mission in Haiti.
The trio will discuss the upcoming steps in Haiti’s democratic transition and U.S. aid to the Haitian people through humanitarian aid and Haitian-driven stabilization efforts,” according to the State Department.
The U.N. mission consists of 400 Kenyan police officers who arrived in June and July.
Several other nations pledged at least an additional 2,500 troops, but they have yet to arrive, and the mission’s mandate is set to expire next month.
Approximately 580,000 individuals have been internally displaced by gang violence in Haiti, leading to an estimated five million people facing severe hunger due to the chaos.
Haiti has been embroiled in political turmoil since 2021 when President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by a group of Colombian mercenaries.
In the absence of a president, Henry, who was appointed by Moïse a few weeks prior, continued as the country’s leader, but was unable to quell the decline in law and order.
Gangs attacked numerous police stations and targeted the main international airport, forcing it to close for nearly three months.
Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier, a gang alliance leader, claimed responsibility for the rise in violence.
He expressed his desire to overthrow Henry, who eventually agreed to resign in March, provided that a transitional council could find a replacement, which they did in Conille, who previously served as UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Conille previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from October 2011 to May 2012 under President Michel Martelly.
The last presidential election in Haiti was held in November 2016, resulting in Moïse’s election.
Elections for a new president are on hold until gang violence is contained and peace and stability are reestablished.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a signing ceremony at the State Department in Washington, on Aug. 5, 2024. Ting Shen/AFP via Getty Images
Following his visit to Haiti, Blinken will meet with the president of neighboring Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, who has prohibited Haitians from entering his country by air.
Abinader is also erecting a fence along the border between the two nations on the island of Hispaniola.
During the slavery era, the western half of the island, then known as Saint-Domingue, was one of the wealthiest parts of the French empire.
In recent times, Haiti has been impoverished while the Dominican Republic has prospered, driven by a growing tourism industry.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
