Haiti Report, January 19, 2025
A compilation of news about Haiti from the past week.
Rubio says Trump won’t intervene in Haiti but will support current mission: ‘No easy answer’
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the answer to Haiti’s gang-fueled security crisis will not come from U.S. military intervention, but could still come from a multinational support effort spearheaded by the Biden administration, indicating President-elect Donald Trump will stay the current U.S. policy course on the Caribbean nation’s persistent emergency once he takes office next week. The remarks by Trump’s nominee for secretary of state — made during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — are the first high-level signal of Trump’s burgeoning policy toward one of the most pressing and intractable crises in the Western Hemisphere. But whether the president-elect himself chooses to follow Rubio’s policy vision remains unclear.
Some leading Republicans have been concerned about the deployment of Kenyan troops to the hemisphere and the vulnerability it presents for fighting terrorist groups on the African continent, and domestically for Kenyan President William Ruto. But Rubio said there were no easy answers for Haiti, warning its prolonged security crisis risks destabilizing the neighboring Dominican Republic and exacerbating regional challenges over historic levels of migration. The new U.S. administration will support the multinational mission, led by Kenya, and will encourage foreign partners to provide police assistance to Haiti, Rubio told senators.
“I do think it does begin with stability and security,” Rubio added. ”You’ve got to establish some baseline security, and it’s not going to come from a U.S. military intervention. So, to the extent that we can encourage foreign partners — and I would include foreign partners in the Western Hemisphere, who should be contributing to this effort — to provide some level of stability and security in Haiti, so that you can explore the opportunities to have a a transitional government that has legitimacy that can ultimately lead to the conduct of elections.” “But it’s going to take a long time,” he added, “and I say this with sadness in my heart.”
Kenya sends 217 more cops to Haiti to help fight armed gangs
A new contingent of 217 additional police officers from Kenya arrived in Port-au-Prince on Saturday aboard a chartered airplane escorted by the U.S. military, after months of uncertainty about whether President William Ruto would continue to field cops for the struggling mission in Haiti, where gang violence last year reached record levels. The new group, according to Kenya media, is among 600 trained and U.S.-vetted cops from various units of Kenya’s National Police Service whom Ruto had promised in September to deploy to Haiti before the end of the year. But the effort was stalled after Democrats lost the U.S. presidential election in November and Haiti’s ruling council days later replaced the prime minister after less than six months.
The 217 Kenyan cops will join 380 of their compatriots already in Port-au-Prince. Their presence boosts the total number of foreign security personnel to just under 800. There are currently police and military officers from Jamaica, along with soldiers from The Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Biden administration, which had been pushing Kenya to deploy its remaining officers, had hoped to bring the mission’s strength up to 1,000 officers before it leaves office on Monday. “Obviously any increase in the [Kenya-led] deployment is very useful. The numbers have been woefully insufficient. But numbers alone are not sufficient,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a security expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “We need to obviously have meaningful action by the... forces in combination with meaningful actions by the Haitian police. Both of these have really been elusive and the glaring lack of holding forces is especially critical and has been a factor allowing the reprisals, counter attacks, revenge attacks that we are seeing from the gangs and also from the militia forces.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article298754313.html#storylink=cpy
Haiti’s National Police adds 739 officers to a depleted force
Haiti National Police (PNH) has bolstered its ranks by adding 739 new officers, including 213 women, during a graduation ceremony held at the National Police Academy in Pétion-Ville on January 10. The officers, part of the 34th promotion, join the force at a critical time as the PNH intensifies efforts against heavily armed gangs vying for control of neighborhoods, rural areas, and major urban centers. Among them, 500 will be trained to join specialized units engaged in combating gangs across the country, in collaboration with the multinational mission. The additional training would follow the five months of intensive training at the National Police Academy, in Pétion-Ville that all graduating officers received. The cohort recorded three dropouts, six dismissals, and one death due to respiratory complications at the hospital.
Barbados to offer technical assistance but no troops for Haiti
The government has reversed its decision to send troops to Haiti, citing escalating dangers and insufficient strategic planning at the global level, Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Kerrie Symmonds announced. Barbados will now only offer technical assistance, marking a significant shift in its approach to the crisis in a fellow CARICOM member state. Expressing concerns that the environment in Haiti has become more dangerous, Symmonds indicated that Barbados does not want to take any chances at this time. “We are mindful of this [increasing danger], and you don’t want to send people in harm’s way, likely or unnecessarily; and the truth is that, it has to be a properly strategically planned activity. And we cannot safely say right now, that there has been the level of strategic planning at the global level that we would have wanted,” the foreign minister told Barbados TODAY.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/01/08/barbados-to-provide-technical-support-not-troops-to-haiti/
Journalists in Haiti demand justice as they bury a second colleague killed by gangs
The young boy wore a suit and bow tie to his stepfather’s funeral on Saturday, where he demanded a handkerchief and wiped tears off his mother’s face as they buried Marckendy Natoux, one of two journalists killed by gangs in Haiti. Natoux was fatally shot on Christmas Eve in one of the worst attacks on the press in the troubled Caribbean country, with gangs opening fire during what was supposed to be the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital. The 42-year-old father of two spoke four languages and worked for several local and U.S. media outlets. He also taught English and Spanish and was known for his kindness.
Johnson “Izo” André, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs, which have taken control of 85% of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility. He said he had not authorized the hospital’s reopening. Natoux’s colleague, Jacalin, also blamed the government for the attack, which led to the health minister being replaced. “You shouldn’t invite someone to cover a media event in an area you know is dangerous,” Jacalin said. “The negligence of the government took the life of two journalists, one police officer and left five other journalists with bullet wounds and awaiting surgeries.” Also killed was Jimmy Jean, a 44-year-old father of six who worked for the online news outlet Moun Afe Bon. He was buried on Thursday. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-journalists-killed-buried-gangs-2d5ea30e5c1b566399a2b0e715c3bb9f?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share
Activities resume at Port-au-Prince Port
Resumption of activities at the CPS, confirms Jocelyn Villier: Activities have resumed at Caribbean Port Services (CPS), the main operator of the Port-au-Prince port, which had to suspend its operations under pressure from Wharf Jérémie gang leader Micanor on Thursday, January 9, 2025. Port operations in Port-au-Prince had previously resumed in November 2024 after more than a month of suspension following the kidnapping of two crew members from a ship in the Bay of Port-au-Prince in October and gunfire targeting port facilities. Speaking on Magik 9 on Thursday, September 26, 2024, the APN Director had detailed the measures taken to secure port facilities, where armed individuals from La Saline, stationed in elevated houses, were firing at the public port. “Armored towers have been erected along the fence near Boulevard de La Saline to secure the port. These towers are equipped with 7.62-millimeter calibers for protection. The fence has also been reinforced up to the Wharf of Jérémie. In terms of human resources, the number of FAd’H soldiers stationed inside the port has doubled, in addition to the APN’s armed security agents who regularly patrol the area in armored vehicles,” Jocelyn Villier revealed. https://lenouvelliste.com/article/252522/reprise-des-activites-au-cps-confirme-jocelyn-villier
Internal Displacement has tripled; now over 1 million IDPs
The U.N. migration agency says internal displacement in Haiti, largely caused by gang violence, has tripled over the last year and now surpasses 1 million people — a record in the Caribbean nation. The International Organization for Migration reported Tuesday that “relentless gang violence” in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has fueled a near-doubling of displacement there and a collapse of health care and other services, and worsening food insecurity. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. “The latest data reveals that 1,041,000 people, many displaced multiple times, are struggling amidst an intensifying humanitarian crisis,” the Geneva-based agency said in a statement. Children make up more than half of the displaced population. The figure marks a three-fold increase in displacement from the 315,000 in December 2023, IOM said. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-internally-displaced-gang-violence-un-iom-8cf38a678f02e970ecf1713a77975640?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
Human Rights Group deplores conditions for internally displaced people
The National Human Rights Defense Network (Rnddh) warns of the subhuman and worrying living conditions of thousands of displaced people in numerous sites located in the West and Artibonite departments, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary, Sunday, January 12, 2025, of the devastating earthquake of Tuesday, January 12, 2010, which caused approximately 300,000 deaths and countless damages , in a report seen by the online agency AlterPresse.
Residents in several reception sites live in unsanitary conditions, due to a lack of cleaning of the occupied spaces, despite the efforts of private or non-governmental organizations, which try to help them clean up the occupied spaces. "Even for the cleaned sites, the collection of rubbish is not regular. This makes the spaces even more unsanitary and encourages the multiplication of rodents and insects of all kinds in the sites."
“Access to clean and secure latrines is not guaranteed to all displaced persons. Similarly, bathing areas are not available in all camps. In others, their layout presents a danger for women and girls, who cannot use them at night,” notes the Rnddh in its investigation report covering 59 sites hosting displaced persons. Currently, at the beginning of 2025, Haiti has at least 117 reception sites for displaced persons, located in eight (8) communes in the departments of West and Artibonite, underlines the Rnddh, citing combined data from civil protection and the network. These spaces accommodate more than 150 thousand people, including 29 thousand 988 minors, or 20% of the population of displaced persons.
https://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article31318
Human Rights Watch: Foreign government should support comprehensive response
Haiti’s crisis has reached catastrophic levels, with allied criminal groups intensifying large-scale, coordinated attacks on the population and key state infrastructure, nearly paralyzing much of the country and worsening the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. For the 546-page world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries. In much of the world, Executive Director Tirana Hassan writes in her introductory essay, governments cracked down and wrongfully arrested and imprisoned political opponents, activists, and journalists.
Armed groups and government forces unlawfully killed civilians, drove many from their homes, and blocked access to humanitarian aid. In many of the more than 70 national elections in 2024, authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies. “Throughout 2024, criminal groups killed, kidnapped, and used sexual violence to control Haiti’s population, already overwhelmed by rising poverty, hunger, and lack of access to essential services,” said Nathalye Cotrino, Americas senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The appointment of a transitional government and deployment of a UN-authorized Multidimensional Security Support mission to support the Haitian National Police have yet to improve security or restore the rule of law.”
The international community should urgently support a comprehensive, rights-based response to Haiti’s crisis, focused on restoring security, upholding the rule of law, and guiding the country back to democracy, while meeting people’s immediate needs. Following the transitional government’s request to transform the MSS into a UN mission, the United Nations Security Council should urgently authorize and rapidly deploy a full-fledged United Nations mission to Haiti. The Mission should be part of a broader strategy that includes human rights safeguards, monitoring mechanisms, and accountability measures to prevent past harm and address the legacy of previous interventions. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/16/haiti-escalating-violence-humanitarian-crisis
Judge postpones hearing for suspects in Haitian president’s slaying
Nineteen suspects accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse arrived Monday at a courthouse as defense attorneys hoped they would be released, but a judge postponed their hearing once again. The 17 Colombians, all former soldiers, along with two Haitians, waited for their hearing to start in a private residence in an upscale area in Haiti’s capital because a surge in gang violence had forced officials to physically shut down the Court of Appeals in downtown Port-au-Prince. After several hours, a judge appeared and ordered the case postponed to later this month for unknown reasons. “We hoped for the release of our clients,” said Nathalie Delisca, attorney for the 17 Colombians detained in the case. Delisca declined to say where the suspects she represents are currently being detained. Gangs raided Haiti’s two biggest prisons nearly a year ago and released thousands of inmates, including those in the National Penitentiary where suspects in the Moïse case were being held.
Haitian police arrest ex-lawmaker accused of arming gangs to influence elections
Police in Haiti have arrested a former legislator long accused of arming gangs in the country’s central region and previously sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada. Prophane Victor, an ex-member of Parliament who represented the Petite Riviere community of the Artibonite region, was arrested Sunday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to Haiti’s National Police. It wasn’t immediately clear if Victor had an attorney. His arrest marks a rare win for Haitian police in a country where high-ranking politicians accused in killings and gang activity often act with impunity and move about the country freely. Police said in a statement that a former gang leader had accused Victor several times of colluding with gang members operating in Artibonite, especially in the community of Savien.
Meanwhile, a U.N. report released last year noted that Victor began arming young men in Petite Riviere to secure his 2016 election win. Those men eventually formed Gran Grif, the largest gang in Artibonite. The report noted that Victor had a falling out with Gran Grif in 2020 “as a result of unfulfilled promises made during the election period.” Since then, officials accused Victor of supporting rival gangs. Canada sanctioned Victor in June 2023 as did the U.S. in September 2024, accusing him of supporting gangs “that have committed serious human rights abuse.” In October, the Gran Grif gang was accused of killings dozens of people in one of the biggest massacres in Haiti’s recent history. The massacre occurred in the community of Pont-Sonde, located in the Artibonite region.
Magalie Habitant arrested
The Haitian National Police, through the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, arrested the former Director General of the National Solid Waste Management Service (SNGRS), Magalie Habitant, as part of an operation carried out on Thursday, January 9, 2025, the PNH reported on social networks this Monday. "During this operation, Magalie Habitant was arrested along with her driver, for criminal association and financing of armed gangs. She is currently in custody at the DCPJ," according to the police.
The arrests of Magalie Habitant and Prophane Victor have sparked strong reactions. Invited on Magik 9, Me Samuel Madistin, of the Je Klere Foundation (FJKL), criticized the presence of the director of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Rameau Normil, at the scene of the search of the home of the former deputy of Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite. Magalie Habitant, suspected of having links with several gang leaders, could be a crucial source of information on the functioning of these criminal groups, according to Pierre Espérance, executive director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH). He welcomed this arrest, hoping that it will allow the judicial police to trace the money and arms trafficking networks associated with the gangs. https://lenouvelliste.com/article/252469/arrestation-de-magalie-habitant-reactions-et-controverses-sur-les-liens-entre-politique-et-gangs-armes
Former Haitian Prime Minister Rosny Smarth Passes Away
Agronomist Rosny Smarth, a former Prime Minister of Haiti, passed away on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, in Port-au-Prince. The information was confirmed to Le Nouvelliste by multiple reliable sources. Rosny Smarth served as Prime Minister under President René Préval from February 25, 1996, to June 9, 1997, though he remained in office to handle interim affairs until October 30, 1997. After his tenure, the country endured many months without a Prime Minister until the appointment of Jacques Édouard Alexis in 1999. Rosny Smarth died at the age of 84 on January 15. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/252530/former-haitian-prime-minister-rosny-smarth-passes-away
Teachers Union Platform plans to escalate general strike
The Platform of Haitian Teachers' Unions (PSEH) plans to escalate its indefinite general strike, which began on January 13, 2025. In a press conference held on Wednesday, January 15, the unions urged teachers in public schools and high schools to continue their mobilization until all their demands are met. Bringing together several union organizations, including the National Confederation of Educators of Haiti (CNEH), UNNOEH, the National League of Haitian Teachers (LINEH), the Haitian Educators’ Network (REEH), the Initiative Group of Teachers in Struggle (GIEL), and FENATEC, the PSEH is calling for urgent measures to improve teachers' working conditions. The main demands include salary adjustments to match inflation and the cost of living, payment of salary arrears, regularization of contract teachers, the appointment of qualified teachers, and improvements in insurance services and social benefits.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/252570/union-platform-stands-firm-on-continuing-teacher-strike
REGIONAL: NORTH
Cap-Haïtien Struggles with Persistent Flooding
Faced with chronic unsanitary conditions and declining infrastructure management, Haiti's second-largest city is plunged into an unprecedented environmental crisis. Blocked canals, a lack of drainage plans, and recurring floods make life unbearable for its residents. Amid the despair of citizens, institutional dysfunction, and pleas for help from local authorities, the future of this historic and tourist city hangs in the balance. Cap-Haïtien, the country’s second-largest city, is in a dire state of disrepair. Streets, neighborhoods, and main arteries are overwhelmed by garbage and mud, revealing an ever-worsening environmental crisis. Despite sporadic cleanup efforts by the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H), the city remains trapped in a disturbing environmental quagmire.
Since 2016, all drainage canals in the city have been blocked, preventing the proper flow of water. This has turned the city into a muddy swamp, especially during the rainy season. Residents have no viable solutions for waste disposal due to a lack of suitable infrastructure. The communal sections of Petite-Anse and Haut du Cap are particularly affected, lacking effective drainage plans. Each rainfall floods homes near the "Haut d’Eau" watershed and neighborhoods such as Zo Vincent, Vertières, and Blue Hills. https://lenouvelliste.com/article/252594/le-cap-haitien-entre-insalubrite-permanente-et-inondations
Dangerous conditions at Cap-Haitien prison
"The civil prison of Cap-Haïtien is on the verge of a health disaster," warns the Protector of the Citizen, Me Jean Wilner Morin. According to the number one of the Office of the Protection of the Citizen (OPC), the conditions of detention in this prison center are deplorable. Out of a prison population of 876 detainees, only 131 are convicted and serve their sentences in almost inhuman physical conditions. Me Morin also denounces the situation of minors in conflict with the law, detained for more than five years without trial. The head of the OPC regrets that prolonged preventive detention has become a norm in Cap-Haïtien.
https://x.com/rtvgalaxie/status/1878250139946570032
Teachers in Fort-Liberté Protest for Improved Working Conditions
Public school teachers held their third protest this week in the streets of Fort-Liberté on Thursday, January 16, 2025. They marched through various parts of the departmental capital to denounce their precarious working conditions. The demonstration was driven by demands addressed to the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), including the regularization of irregularly employed teachers, the issuance of debit cards for all education system employees, the payment of salary arrears, and salary adjustments.
Since the beginning of 2025, public primary, middle, and secondary schools in the Nord-Est department have been paralyzed by an indefinite strike called by teachers’ unions. While some private and religious schools in Ouanaminthe briefly reopened on Monday, they were forced to suspend activities in solidarity with public sector teachers, following a call from local educational unions. In the streets of Fort-Liberté, protesters reiterated their resolve. "We are back in the streets to demand that the Haitian state, through the MENFP, address the teachers’ demands," stated one protester, adding that the demands also concern administrative staff, students, and their parents. Some demonstrators contrasted the qualifications required of teachers with those for police officers, criticizing the disparity in treatment.
"The state requires teachers to have a four-year university degree as a minimum qualification to teach, yet allows police officers to start their careers with only a ninth-grade education and a 30,000-gourde debit card. It’s absurd and unjust," protested Me Murat Casimir, one of the participants. Across the Nord-Est communes, the educational system is at a complete standstill. The Departmental Directorate, district school offices, and most public and private institutions have ceased operations. Tensions are rising, with burning tire barricades and threats directed at private schools.
Markets in Northeastern Communes Well Stocked with Essential Agricultural Products
In the traditional markets, grocery stores and supermarkets of the 14 municipalities of the North-East department, basic necessities, particularly those of agricultural origin, are widely available. A particularly successful winter harvest season for local farmers. Local vegetables, fruits and grains abound on the stalls. Among the most noted commodities are beans, bananas, papaya and rice grown in Haiti, which are evidence of agricultural abundance. This situation is attributed to the favorable conditions of the winter season, as Alex Joseph, planter and manager of the Cigais agricultural farm in Grand-Bassin, points out. "This year, the seasons have been good and the harvests have been mostly successful. It is a real relief for us, planters, despite the many challenges we face," he said.
In Fort-Liberté, in the communal section of Malféty, Djouvalès Prospère, a small-scale farmer, shares this feeling of satisfaction. He describes the winter season as a time of fruitful harvests, despite the structural challenges that often hinder agricultural development. Ouanaminthe, a true agricultural lung of the region for the production of rice and vegetables, also illustrates this positive dynamic. Harvests, particularly in this commune, are clearly increasing. The significant volumes of products available on local markets testify to the vitality of this winter agricultural campaign.
This seasonal abundance has had a positive impact on food prices, which remain affordable for the majority of the population. This context is beneficial not only for farmers, who sell their products in significant volumes, but also for consumers, who benefit from fresh, local and accessible products. Thus, the winter harvest in the Northeast stands out as an example of agricultural resilience and highlights the importance of strengthening support for producers. Structured support and adapted policies could help consolidate these results and ensure greater sustainability for the region's agricultural sector.
REGIONAL: ARTIBONITE
Gang Attack in Gros Morne
The commune of Gros-Morne was once again attacked by the Ti Bwadòm gang on Saturday, January 18, 2025. This attack left at least 10 dead and several injured, including one person in critical condition. The mayor of the commune, Hubert Cénéac, is demanding a reinforcement of security measures and concrete actions against the gangs that continue to sow terror. The attack took place between 10am and noon, while the population was peacefully going about its business. A group of armed individuals, affiliated with the Kokorat San Ras gang , opened fire on the locality, firing bursts of bullets, creating high tension. According to the mayor, the death toll stands at 10, recorded after the police managed to repel the attackers. In addition, four people were injured by gunfire, including one seriously injured by a bullet lodged in the back. The latter is currently fighting for her life, due to the difficulties encountered in extracting the projectile.
The victims were mainly in the locality of the third section of Rivière Blanche, including four near the Grépen cemetery, about 500 meters from the city police station. The other six were killed in the locality of Campêche. The Ti Bwadòm gang, responsible for this act, operates regularly between Gros-Morne and Port-de-Paix, passing through the areas of Ti Bwadòm and Pendu. It has also established an illegal toll station in the fourth communal section. The attack was repelled by agents of the UDMO (Departmental Unit for Maintaining Order), aided by a few administrative police officers present at the police station, before the arrival of reinforcements from Gonaïves. https://lenouvelliste.com/article/252605/gros-morne-au-moins-10-morts-et-des-blesses-dans-une-nouvelle-attaque-du-gang-de-ti-bwadom
Tears never stop flowing in Montrouis
Reverend Father Mackenzy Célestin, parish priest of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Montrouis, has issued an urgent plea to the country's government authorities regarding the severity of the security situation in the commune. “In Montrouis, every day, farmers mourn the murder of a loved one, and the tears never stop flowing,” the priest lamented, expressing astonishment that “the rest of the country seems unaware of the regular crimes committed here.” Citing multiple instances of individuals abducted from their homes and summarily executed “because of their place of origin or family lineage,” the clergyman observed that “the silence of the victims’ families masks their fear and pain—a psychosis that compels parents to keep their children home, even during school hours.” https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/252569/father-mackenzy-celestin-raises-alarm-over-montrouis-crisis
Serial Murders in Deluge
The Board of Directors of the municipal section of Délugé has recorded around twenty deaths, killed by projectiles or machete blows between January 2023 and January 2025, in the locality of Délugé, commune of Saint-Marc. "Given the fear of reprisals of all kinds, on these cases of assassination, people remain silent," revealed the members of CASEC, who cited that of Mr. Emmanuel Pierre-Charles, "executed on Friday, January 3, 2025 in his garden." Hands and feet cut off, body burned and decapitated, what remains of the deceased, according to the revelations of his younger brother, Garry Pierre-Charles, "proves that we live in a country where the population is delivered to highway gangsters who do what they want", attesting that "no one is spared from absolute evil." Convinced that these bloody crimes are linked to land conflicts that disturb public order and peace, the members of CASEC call on "the Saint-Marc prosecutor's office and the police forces of the jurisdiction to intervene as quickly as possible to avoid the worst."
https://lenouvelliste.com/article/252459/meurtres-en-serie-a-deluge
REGIONAL: SOUTH/GRAND SUD
Saint-Louis du Sud’s International Port Officially Opens
The international port of Saint-Louis du Sud, a strategic infrastructure project aimed at fostering the economic development of southern Haiti, was inaugurated on Friday, January 17, 2025. The official ceremony, held at Baie-du-Mesle in the second communal section of Saint-Louis du Sud, marked the culmination of a project nearly two decades in the making. The port aims to transform the region into a major economic hub, facilitating local producers’ access to national and international markets. Its goals include attracting private investment, creating jobs, and improving the living conditions of nearby communities.
In his opening remarks, CPT President Leslie Voltaire paid tribute to the immense efforts of the late agronomist Pierre Léger and Ann Hauge, Chair of the Port’s Board of Directors, who tirelessly advocated for the project long before its inauguration. According to Voltaire, "The port opens up the southern region to development," a development he envisions as endogenous and sustainable. "The struggle continues, but this time, the people of the South are not alone. The state is here to provide all the necessary support," he declared, expressing optimism that after access through Martissant is restored, the port will serve the entire metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
"We promise a significant financial package over the next two to three years so that the South becomes a decentralized region, capable of exporting various agro-industrial goods to Latin America, the United States, and Europe," Voltaire continued. He expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the realization of this project, while hoping the port would not become a hub for crime, drug trafficking, or urban decay.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/252587/saint-louis-du-suds-international-port-officially-opens
Jacmel Students Protest amid Teacher Strike
Since January 6, 2025, public school teachers have been on strike, paralyzing the functioning of schools throughout the Southeast department. On Wednesday, January 15, hundreds of students from Jacob Martin Henriquez, Pinchinat, and Célie Lamour high schools took to the streets of Jacmel, demanding the return of their teachers to the classroom. The students marched peacefully through the city’s streets, disrupting the operations of several private schools, decrying what they see as an unjust disparity. "If we don't have classes, no school should operate. We will take the same official exams, but we are the only ones at a disadvantage," said one student interviewed by Le Nouvelliste.
Gabrielle Confident, director of Célie Lamour High School, expressed her helplessness in the face of the situation. "Teachers are fighting for legitimate rights. They have been demanding better working conditions for years, but nothing has been done. Meanwhile, students never reach their academic goals because of repeated strikes," she lamented, urging the Ministry of Education to take concrete measures. For their part, striking teachers, represented by Alerte Jean Charles, insist that their movement is not intended to penalize students but to demand their rights. "We are asking the state for dignified working conditions: health insurance, a debit card, salary adjustments, teacher appointments, and the rehabilitation and construction of school buildings," he explained. While awaiting a response from the authorities, the students vowed to keep up the pressure in the streets. "We will remain mobilized until the state takes responsibility," they declared.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/252542/jacmel-students-protest-amid-teacher-strike
Cayes Students Protest, Calling for Teachers to Return to Classrooms
Deprived of classes for over a week due to the teachers' strike, students from public schools in Les Cayes took to the streets on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, to express their dissatisfaction. Mostly high school students, they marched to demand that the state provide a concrete response to teachers' demands for back pay and salary increases. The protesters, who attempted to reach the South Departmental Office of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) located in Bergeaud, were dispersed by law enforcement using tear gas. The situation escalated when some students responded by throwing stones, leading to heightened tensions. Many participants denounced acts of police brutality, claiming they were struck or suffocated by the gas. Cases of distress, particularly among asthmatic students, were also reported.
Despite these incidents, the protesters made their voices heard in an atmosphere marked by chants, slogans chanted to carnival rhythms, and placards denouncing the crisis in the education system. "Every year, we face the same problems. We have no teachers. We want the state to pay and increase their salaries," said a student from Lycée Philippe Guerrier. The students' frustration also stems from repeated disruptions in the organization of school exams. "Instead of the four phases planned, our exams are delayed. This year, it might even be reduced to just one phase," lamented another student.
Students in Jérémie Demand Teachers End Strike and Return to Class
Since the beginning of the year, hundreds of students in public schools in Jérémie have been deprived of classes due to a teachers’ strike. The protests and calls for action by public school teachers have intensified, but the situation remains unresolved. Concern is growing among parents and administrators of both public and private schools. According to the striking teachers, their demands are straightforward. They believe the authorities should extend the "Kredi Pa’m" program from six months to a year. Minister Augustin Antoine should also fulfill his promise of providing debit cards with monthly deposits for all education sector staff. At the same time, salary adjustments should be made to improve the living conditions of public school teachers. Contract employees from the PSUGO program have also joined the movement. These teachers, hired under a program aimed at providing free education for children aged 6 to 12, are demanding attention to their plight. In addition to several years of unpaid salaries, these contract workers are calling on the minister to fully integrate them into the system by granting them permanent status.
In the morning, during school hours, teachers marched through the streets of the "City of Poets," ending their demonstration at the Bordes Administrative Complex to amplify their demands under the leadership of Marcel Jeanty, the departmental education director. Simultaneously, hundreds of students from various high schools and national schools, joined by some private school students, took to the streets to demand the return of teachers to the classroom. It is worth noting that public school teachers and high school educators have been absent from classrooms due to a warning strike launched by their unions. Following these demonstrations, several schools decided to send students home as a precautionary measure.
OPINION/ANALYSIS
Last Chance? Breaking Haiti’s Political and Criminal Impasse
Policy Brief from Global Initiative Against TransNational Organized Crime
This Brief offers avenues of action for 2025. It begins by outlining how the gangs’ governance has developed alongside the inadequacy of the current public security strategy, before looking at the political challenges ahead for Haiti’s transition and the international community. To have a significant impact, the Brief makes the case for a paradigm shift in the national and international response, which must take full account of the Haitian organized crime ecosystem. The challenge is immense, but the tools are at our disposal to forge joint action in the face of a criminal crisis that is unique on a global scale.
The Brief outlines critical steps, including:
Providing more resources to the strategic analysis of the political economy of violence in Haiti, at the political and operational levels.
Bolstering the HNP and MSS with funding, personnel, and strategic coordination.
Investing in the criminal justice system, to act against the actors that fuel illicit activities.
Relaunching Haiti’s political transition with an emphasis on transparency and accountability.
Establishing a cohesive sanctions and arms embargo regime targeting gang financiers and enablers, in Haiti and abroad.
Strengthening the international and national implementation of sanctions and the arms embargo.
If a peacekeeping operation were deployed, building a transition strategy that would focus on adapting it to an organized crime mandate.
Designing a coherent disarmament, demobilization, and community violence-reduction strategy.
The pathway to peace requires addressing systemic impunity and rebuilding governance, A peacekeeping operation alone will not be the panacea that will cure Haiti’s gang problem and the structures that support the criminal groups. This is a far greater challenge, requiring the deployment of all available domestic and international instruments, including a mix of public security, justice, development aid and humanitarian cooperation. By addressing root causes and ensuring coordinated action, Haiti can begin to dismantle the structures that perpetuate its crisis and move toward a future of stability and self-determination.
https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/haiti-political-and-criminal-impasse/
Haiti in-depth: Why the Kenya-led security mission is floundering
“The Kenyans were sent to be butchered.” The New Humanitarian
The Kenya-led security support mission to Haiti is, at present, unfit for purpose. More than six months after deploying to help police wrest back control, rampant gangs have gained more territory and power while access to vital humanitarian aid for desperate civilians has dwindled.
But how come, and what next? A months-long investigation by The New Humanitarian and Kenya’s Nation newspaper reveals that a large part of the failure is down to the mission’s lack of resources, but also that it was arguably mission impossible from the start.