Haiti Report, June 22, 2024
A compilation of news about Haiti from the past week.
Updates on Multinational Security Support Mission: Agreement Signed
On Friday, June 21, 2024, Haiti and Kenya signed an agreement on the status of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Washington, as announced by Cristobal Dupouy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the OAS in Haiti. On his X account, Cristobal Dupouy announced that Ambassador Gandy Thomas, Acting Representative of Haiti to the OAS, and Kenyan Ambassador to the USA, Lazarus O. Amayo, signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for the MSSM. Ambassador Dupouy highlighted that the signing of "this legal agreement (SOFA/SPA) filed with the OAS is a significant step that should accelerate the deployment of the MSSM."
The agreement between Haiti and Kenya grants the MSSM personnel a range of privileges and immunities guaranteed by the Haitian state.
"All MSSM personnel, including locally recruited staff, enjoy immunity from jurisdiction for all acts performed in the exercise of their official functions (including their words and writings). This immunity remains in effect even when they are no longer part of the MSSM personnel or employed by it, and after the other provisions of this Agreement have expired," reads the document.
The agreement also states that "if the government (of Haiti) believes that an MSSM staff member has committed a criminal offense, it informs the MSSM Commander as soon as possible and presents any evidence in its possession. MSSM personnel are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of their participating state regarding any criminal offenses they commit in Haiti."
The Haitian government "immediately informs the MSSM Commander of any civil action brought against an MSSM staff member in a Haitian court. The Commander then certifies to the court whether the matter is related to the official duties of the said member. a) If the MSSM Commander certifies that the matter is related to the official duties of the person concerned, the proceedings are terminated, and the provisions of this Agreement apply. b) If the MSSM Commander certifies that the matter is not related to the official duties of the person concerned, the proceedings continue. In this case: i) The courts and authorities of Haiti provide the MSSM staff member sufficient opportunity to safeguard their rights in accordance with due process guarantees," the agreement details.
"If the MSSM Commander certifies that a staff member is unable, due to their official duties or authorized absence, to defend their interests in the proceedings, the court, at the request of the person concerned, suspends the proceedings until the end of the unavailability, but for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days," specifies the agreement between Haiti and Kenya.
President William Ruto said Kenya will also host Haiti police for training and a delegation of Haitian police commanders visited the barracks where drills will take place in Nairobi on June 18. https://apnews.com/article/kenya-haiti-police-deployment-1a7bf1a1ed2c8b4a2a9d9ca76c94eaf5?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
A summary overview of the MSS is included in this announcement from the UN Security Council about Friday’s meeting to sign the agreement: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/06/haiti-private-meeting-3.php?utm_medium=email
After months of being blocked by Republican lawmakers from funding an armed security mission to Haiti, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has directed the State Department to proceed with $109 million in funding to help special-forces cops from Kenya deploy to Haiti to help the country’s beleaguered national police battle armed gangs. Blinken’s decision, which has become known as the “nuclear option,” overrides a Republican hold on the funds, which along with several court challenges in Nairobi has delayed the mission’s deployment. With Blinken’s authorization, there is not only money to purchase equipment a Kenyan security assessment team has said is needed prior to the officers’ arrival in Port-au-Prince, it also sends a strong signal to other nations. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article289374128.html#storylink=cpy
U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s decision to bypass his hold on funding for the ill-conceived Haiti Multinational Security Support Mission (Haiti MSS): “The Biden Administration’s choice to override the hold I had placed on U.S. taxpayer funding for the ill-conceived Haiti MSS is extremely disappointing. I have very clearly expressed my serious and specific concerns about this mission since last September. My concerns exist in part because of the long history of failed international interventions in Haiti which have wasted billions of dollars and left the Haitian people worse off.
“I tried to engage in a real dialogue with the Biden Administration to improve its planning process and lay out clear rules of engagement and metrics for success. Unfortunately, the administration made it very clear it could not provide any substantive metrics or goals. Despite this fact, it has decided to move forward with funding a mission where the length, objectives, and cost remain unclear. Right now, the U.S. taxpayer will shoulder the overwhelming majority of this burden.” https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/rep/release/risch-on-biden-admins-decision-to-override-congress-on-haiti-mss-funding
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement: “After three years without an elected government, and facing one of the worst security and humanitarian crises in the country’s history, there is finally hope for Haiti. The international community — through the Biden Administration's leadership – stands ready to mobilize personnel, resources, and funding to support the deployment of a Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to help the Haitian National Police (HNP) reestablish order and security. While I strongly believe in the Committee’s prerogatives to conduct oversight over how taxpayer funds are used, I can understand the exceptional and dire circumstances on the ground in Haiti that necessitated Secretary Blinken's decision to move forward in releasing urgently needed funds to the MSS and HNP.
“Without the immediate deployment of the MSS, Haiti risks becoming a failed state a mere 800 miles from our shores. Supporting the MSS is the right course both for the Haitian people and for U.S. national interests, and I look forward to continuing to work with the State Department to conduct oversight over the MSS and ensure it avoids the pitfalls of previous international interventions in Haiti.” https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/chair-cardin-statement-on-approval-of-support-for-haiti
Director General of Haiti’s National Police Replaced
Rameau Normil was appointed director-general of the troubled Caribbean nation's police force on Wednesday, replacing Frantz Elbe. "We took steps to make a change at the head of the police because we felt the time was right to give the institution a new lease of life, a new energy," Conille said at a press conference.
"Confronting the challenges of insecurity is a collective responsibility. The population must feel involved in the process of restoring security," he said, promising improved communication between citizens and the police force. He also said he would create a national anti-corruption strategy, noting that "up to 30 percent of state employees receive salaries while being absent, we must immediately remedy this." https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240620-haiti-conille-police-chief-gangs
Violence, Displacement and Efforts to Combat Insecurity
Surging violence in Haiti from clashes with armed gangs since March has displaced nearly 580,000 people, according to a new report from the U.N. migration agency, a sobering figure that underscores the magnitude of the Caribbean nation’s crisis. A report released on June 18 by the International Organization for Migration said the displacement of more than half a million is mainly due to people fleeing the capital of Port-au-Prince for other provinces, which lack the resources to support them. “Nearly all those internally displaced are currently hosted by communities already struggling with overburdened social services and poor infrastructure, raising further concerns about tensions with the potential to spark further violence,” the report said. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-violence-displacement-0f1a492c9231161a54037ca5b9b7e676?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations to address the escalating gang violence in Haiti, which continues to have devastating effects on the Haitian population.
These latest sanctions target three Haitian gang leaders: Luckson Elan, Gabriel Jean-Pierre and Ferdens Tilus.
Canada has reason to believe that these individuals, as criminal gang leaders, have engaged in activities that have undermined the peace, security and stability of Haiti and that have contributed to acts of gross and systematic human rights violations in Haiti.
Since 2022, Canada has committed more than $400 million in international assistance funding to Haiti. This assistance includes the provision of emergency food and nutrition, logistical support, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and protection services, particularly in response to gender-based violence.
Canada’s $400 million in international assistance funding includes an investment of $80.5 million, announced by Minister Joly in February 2024, to support the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti, and $100 million in support of the Haitian National Police.
Comprising nearly two million clients and 8,500 distribution agents, the MonCash ecosystem felt the detrimental effects of the rampant insecurity in the country lately. "In some neighborhoods, clients find it nearly impossible to travel to agents to conduct transactions. Many distribution agents have also had their businesses vandalized," reported Jean Philippe Brun, Digicel's CEO.
This climate of insecurity has also hindered distribution agents' operations. "The costs of operations, including management, cash transport, and security, have significantly increased for our distribution agents who are facing enormous challenges," revealed Mr. Brun, citing difficulties agents encounter in accessing cash to meet clients' transaction needs. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/248710/insecurity-impacts-moncash-ecosystem
Another in the series of markets that were in downtown neighborhoods but have had to relocate due to relentless attacks by armed groups: Auto Parts and Garages Establish Presence in Bois-Verna
After bus stations and small merchants fled the lower city, mechanics and tool vendors were also forced out by bandits. Most of the former relocated to John Brown Avenue, while the latter settled on Lamartinière Avenue. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/248705/auto-parts-and-garages-establish-presence-in-bois-verna
455 new police officers joined the ranks of the specialized units of the Haitian National Police during a ceremony at the National Police School on Route de Frères, in the commune of Pétion-Ville, this Tuesday, June 18, 2024. According to the Prime Minister, it is time to reconsider a Haitian approach to security, to rethink the strategy to make it comprehensive and immediate. "The approach, he argues, must involve integrating all security forces, establishing operational coordination centers, and deploying cutting-edge technologies for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
"We are committed to ensuring you have the tools, training, and support necessary to accomplish your task," declared Garry Conille, stressing that "we recognize the challenges and shortcomings. We are determined to address them." https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/248712/455-new-specialized-police-officers-ready-for-anti-gang-operations
While the Haitian Armed Forces have long been sidelined in the fight against armed gangs, the Ministry of Defense has thrown a curveball by publicly issuing a directive to prepare what remains of the FAD’H for combat. "In accordance with the minister's recommendations, you are hereby required to immediately put the Armed Forces of Haiti on 'Condition D.' Subsequent instructions will follow," reads the note from the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Louis Marcelin Daniel, to the army's chief commander, General Jodel Lesage.
Contacted by Le Nouvelliste, General Lesage explained that "Condition D" in military jargon means the troops are on high alert. According to the Chief of the Armed Forces, the army was already theoretically on high alert in response to the actions of armed gangs.
However, in an interview with the newspaper, General Jodel Lesage expressed the need for increased resources for the FAD’H. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/248715/haitian-government-aims-to-mobilize-armed-forces-against-criminals
Families in Terre-Neuve and Gros-Morne—two communes in Haiti’s Artibonite department, about 15 miles and 20 miles north of the department’s capital city of Gonaives—suffered an unprecedented act of terror from armed gangs over the weekend. The attacks on these generally peaceful communities resulted in 10 deaths, including a pregnant woman nearing labor, one critical injury, and eight homes burned. Hundreds of people fled their homes to escape the wrath of the bandits, who retaliated after locals tried to prevent the kidnapping of a school teacher. https://haitiantimes.com/2024/06/18/gang-violence-in-haitis-terre-neuve-and-gros-morne/
Weakened by insecurity, artists abandon their workshops to settle elsewhere in the capital or in the provinces, while others leave the country. Artistic communities, based in areas that are not easily accessible due to gang violence in the Port-au-Prince area, are facing major difficulties and are threatened with extinction. Dozens of artists’ studios in Noailles, Grand-Rue, Carrefour and Bel Air are systematically targeted, ransacked or burned during gang attacks. https://ayibopost.com/major-artistic-communities-threatened-with-extinction-in-haiti/
AyiboPost collected testimonies from several children recruited by gangs: https://ayibopost.com/my-life-as-a-child-member-of-5-segonn-in-village-de-dieu/
Delays in preparation for elections
Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the headquarters of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. This visit by the PM comes a week before the expiration of the 60-day deadline following the installation of the Presidential Council, within which the members of the Presidential Council were supposed to form the CEP. On Monday night, a member of the Presidential Council told Le Nouvelliste that the CPT has not even begun discussions on forming this body. The formation of the CEP is not on the presidential advisors' agenda for the next two weeks. However, a source indicated that the advisors are currently working on the appointment of new general directors in the public administration. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/248707/garry-conille-visits-the-cep
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) provided guidance on “How to Break the Cycle of Weak Elections in Haiti” which included these key takeaways:
The inefficient and unrepresentative electoral system needs reform to boost citizen participation.
The Presidential Transition Council and the government must address technical and security issues.
The lack of trust in the system and the need for transparent mechanisms must be addressed.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/06/how-break-cycle-weak-elections-haiti
Stakeholders in South call for their port to be an authorized international port
The Promotion Group for the Operation of the Southern International Port is urging the newly installed Prime Minister, Dr. Garry Conille, and his government to make a difference by authorizing the opening of the port, which they claim meets international standards.
According to Gérald Excellent, the board of directors of the Port located in Saint-Louis du Sud approached the government led by Ariel Henry through the Minister of Economy and Finance, Michel Patrick Boisvert, to request customs officers and agents from the National Port Authority (APN). However, despite these efforts, the minister did not respond to their request before leaving office. "The port is equipped with office spaces to accommodate customs, the APN, the Maritime and Navigation Service of Haiti (SEMANAH), and an isolation office, as required by the authorities at the time," specified Gérald Excellent.
Another member of the port promotion group, Charles Jean-Maurice, expressed confusion over the port’s ability to handle humanitarian activities with ease but not being officially open to international trade. "The Southern Port has all the necessary infrastructure for its operation. We urge the head of the government to facilitate its definitive opening to foreign trade and not just for humanitarian activities," he stated, calling on the state to build the 8 km road leading to Grande Baie du Mesle, where the Saint-Louis port is located.
OPINION: As Haiti crumbles around us, we hold our communities together. Monique Clesca in the Washington Post, June 18
I believe in Haitians. I believe in our capacity to organize, to transform; throwing off the yoke of the French colonizers in 1804, we were the first independent Black republic, after all. Across Haiti today, farmers, city residents and diverse others are banding together to help one another survive, thrive and build.
All of us, from all walks of life, must take ownership of the political transition. We must demand robust checks and balances to monitor the presidential council, the prime minister and his government, the multinational security force, and the elections. We must help build a government that works for us all. In Haitian Creole, the word “konbit” means “communal labor,” and konbit is what it’s going to take.