The Coordination Europe Haïti (CoEH) welcomes the appointment of Mr Garry Conille as Haiti’s new Prime Minister and his cabinet, made up of new and familiar figures. Although the formation of this team was marked by controversial negotiations and a lack of transparency, raising concerns about the future and sovereignty of the government, Mr Conille appears to be qualified for the job. He has managed to form a relatively inclusive government with women, young people and members of the diaspora, thus fulfilling, at least in part, his promise to give this government a broader character. Despite concerns about certain appointments and international influence, many citizens are relieved to finally see a new leadership at the helm of the country that is prepared to meet the immense challenges that lie ahead. After the accelerating spiral of violence that has claimed so many lives over the past two years and further impoverished the country, the appointment of this new government represents at least a small glimmer of hope for a better future. [1]
The challenges facing the new government are immense, not least insecurity. Mr Conille has pledged to fight the gangs and re-establish state authority in the “lost territories”. However, the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS), opaquely led by the United States with so-called Kenyan leadership, is giving cause for concern. The details of the mission remain unclear even to Haitian officials, and questions persist as to its objectives, accountability and the risk of repeating past failures. More so as little is known to date, apart from the fact that MMAS members enjoy extensive privileges and immunity. [2] The success of this mission depends on transparent collaboration with Haitian institutions and the population, something that has been flagrantly neglected to date. In addition, it is crucial to tackle the causes of insecurity and the proliferation of weapons rather than relying solely on military intervention. [3]
The transitional government must urgently manage the humanitarian crisis, which is particularly affecting the more than 500,000 displaced people in the country, according to the IOM.[4] It is also crucial to prepare for potential disasters during the cyclone season, given the destruction of infrastructure and the dysfunction of public institutions, which cannot be repaired quickly. The European Union can play a significant role in managing the humanitarian crisis, particularly by supporting the provinces that have received large numbers of displaced people. It is essential that humanitarian aid strengthens Haitian state institutions and civil society actors, to avoid the mistakes made in the response to the 2010 earthquake. At that time, international organisations with no knowledge or experience of Haiti created short-lived parallel structures, weakening state institutions and breaking up civil society organisations. [5]
It is crucial to seize this opportunity to help Haitians redefine the priorities of their State and reorganise public institutions, placing the needs of the civilian population at the centre of their concerns. Reforms, in particular the decentralisation provided for in the 1987 Constitution, are needed to redistribute wealth and provide financial resources to the regions and rural areas.[6] The recent crisis has shown that Haitian centralism is hampering the development of the regions, despite the impressive resilience of the provincial populations, who have continued to function despite major supply difficulties.
Finally, we would like to draw the EU’s attention to the organisation of elections, a central point of the transitional government’s mandate. The EU could contribute to the preparation and observation of the elections to ensure a transparent candidate verification process and an inclusive political debate, even in remote areas. This would make it possible to respect the will of the Haitian people and the country’s sovereignty, without international interests, particularly those of the United States, determining the results as they did in several recent elections.[7]
Faced with these challenges facing the Haitian transitional government, the CoEH calls on the European Union to apply its fundamental values and principles of justice, democracy and human rights in its policy towards Haiti. More specifically, the CoEH calls on the EU and its Member States to :
- Provide substantial funding to help Haiti deal with the humanitarian crisis and address challenges such as food security and education, is essential to support the transition process, over and above the security issues.
- Deepen exchanges with Haitian civil society on the EU’s policies and actions in Haiti, while ensuring full transparency on European aid, particularly budgetary aid. Also demand that the transitional government account for the use of these funds in a transparent manner.
- Act within the United Nations and the Core Group to put an end to the secrecy surrounding MMAS and ensure that the Haitian population is informed in a transparent manner about its objectives, its rules of engagement and its responsibilities, particularly with regard to respect for human rights.
- Support the preparation and observation of elections to ensure that the will of the Haitian people and the country’s sovereignty are respected. The EU could, for example, facilitate the registration of all Haitians on electoral lists and ensure access to polling stations in all regions, including the most remote.
- Support the establishment of a Truth and Justice Commission in Haiti to investigate the workings of the gangs and identify their supporters, in order to bring justice to the victims, particularly women and girls who have been sexually assaulted.
- Contribute to the implementation of an effective policy to combat arms and munitions trafficking in Haiti, in particular by supporting the enforcement of sanctions against the individuals involved.
For the COEH,
Christophe Mohni Ornella Braceschi
Coordinator CoEH President Collectif Haïti de France/Steering Committee Member
[1] Colette Lespinasse, Haïti, un nouveau gouvernement enfin en place, 14.06.2024, https://www.coeh.eu/fr/haiti-un-nouveau-gouvernement-enfin-en-place/
[2] Robenson Geffrard: Haïti et le Kenya signent l’accord sur le statut de la Mission multinationale, Le Nouvelliste 21 juin 2024, https://lenouvelliste.com/article/248778/haiti-et-le-kenya-signent-laccord-sur-le-statut-de-la-mission-multinationale
[3] Pierre Espérance, U.S. Military Planes Are in Haiti. Haitians Don’t Know Why. Foreign Policy, 13.06.2024, https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/06/13/haiti-gangs-violence-us-military-planes-international-security-mission-kenya/
[4] Organisation Internationale pour les Migrations (OIM): Haiti Situation Report May 2024, 11.06.2024, https://haiti.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1091/files/documents/2024-06/2024-05_sitrep.pdf
[5] Voir Frédéric Thomas, L’échec humanitaire. Le cas haïtien. Bruxelles 2013 et Jake Johnston : Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti. New York 2024.
[6] Constitution d’Haïti du 29 mars 1987, Titre V, Chapitre I : Des Collectivités territoriales et de la Décentralisation, Art. 61 à 87, https://www.haiti-reference.info/pages/plan/histoire-et-societe/documents-historiques/constitutions/1987-texte/
[7] Johnston 2024