Haiti Report, November 13, 2024
A compilation of news about Haiti from the past few days.
FAA bans U.S. airlines from flying into Haiti for 30 days
All U.S. airlines and other and commercial operators have been banned from flying into Haiti for at least 30 days, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday. The decision came a day after a Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways flights sustained gunfire over Port-au-Prince airspace on Monday. The Spirit flight was a mile east of Toussaint Louverture International Airport when it was fired upon and the JetBlue fight had just taken off and was bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. No passengers were injured, the airlines said, but a spokesperson for Spirit said that a flight attendant sustained minor injuries.
In response to the incident, JetBlue announced cancellation of flights until Dec. 2, while American Airlines said flights would be canceled until Thursday. Spirit, which canceled flights out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport into both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, said flights were canceled pending an investigation of the shooting. The FAA issued the Notice to Air Mission, known as a NOTAM, prohibiting U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet after initially issuing the prohibition until Monday. The notice applies to all operators of civil aircrafts registered in the United States except when the operator of such an aircraft is a foreign air carrier. Exceptions are made for emergencies and flights authorized by the U.S. government or agency with approval of the FAA. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article295443354.html#storylink=cpy
Early in the evening on November 11, it was learned that in addition to the Spirit Airlines plane, another aircraft, belonging to the JetBlue company, departing from Port-au-Prince for New York, was hit by bullets, ABC News reported on Monday, November 11, 2024. "On Monday, a JetBlue flight from Haiti to New York was also hit by a bullet," the airline said in a statement to ABC News, according to an article in the American media.
After JetBlue Flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, an inspection revealed that the exterior of the plane had been struck by a bullet. JetBlue announced it is suspending all flights to and from Haiti through December 2 due to civil unrest in the country. Earlier, a Spirit Airlines plane from Florida was hit by bullets on Monday, November 11, as it was preparing to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. The plane landed in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Singer Renette Désir, who was on the flight, described a moment of great terror in a video she posted on social media. According to her, injuries were recorded due to the impact of the projectiles. After the incident, a JetBlue plane that took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, turned back. Another plane that was able to take off from the airport headed for New York was hit by gunfire, according to the company. An Air Caraïbes plane from Paris to Port-au-Prince landed in the Dominican Republic.
Since Monday's incidents, airlines have suspended flights to and from Port-au-Prince. The local company Sunrise Airways, which connects Port-au-Prince with Les Cayes, Cap-Haïtien and several cities in the Caribbean, has also announced the suspension of its operations in Port-au-Prince. It should be recalled that the airport is home to a base of the Multinational Mission for Security Support (MMAS), led by Kenya. The U.S. Embassy has issued a security alert advising Americans against traveling to Haiti. Port-au-Prince is experiencing renewed tension due to violence by armed gangs following the dismissal of Prime Minister Garry Conille by the Transitional Presidential Council. Conille was ousted from the prime minister's office following several disagreements with the CPT over a request for a cabinet reshuffle and a corruption scandal involving three CPT members.
American Airlines cancels flights until February 2025
American Airlines has suspended its Port-au-Prince to Miami route until February 12, 2025, for a period of 90 days. This decision was made after one of its planes was struck by gunfire in Port-au-Prince on Monday, November 11. To date, three planes have been hit by bullets fired by gangs near Toussaint Louverture Airport on that day.
“On Monday, November 11, American Airlines flight 819, traveling from Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) to Miami International Airport (MIA), landed safely and without incident in Miami. As a precautionary measure, a post-flight inspection was conducted, revealing that the exterior of the plane had been struck by a bullet. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to investigate this incident. Our daily service between Miami and Port-au-Prince is now suspended until February 12. We will continue to monitor the situation with a focus on safety and security and will adjust operations as necessary,” reads the statement.
This announcement from American Airlines follows a notice issued on Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that prohibits commercial flights by U.S. airlines to Haiti for 30 days. According to this Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM), obtained by the newspaper, civil aviation operations by U.S. airlines are prohibited in Haitian territory and airspace below 10,000 feet due to ongoing security risks impacting flight safety. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/251419/american-airlines-halts-flights-to-haiti-through-february-2025
Demolition work at PAP Airport Incomplete
The demolition work on houses around Toussaint Louverture International Airport resumed on Sunday, October 27, the newspaper learned. While 80 houses at height completely dominating the airport runway are expected to be destroyed, information on the progress in this second phase of the project is lacking. This Monday, November 11, the runway of Toussaint Louverture International Airport was again fired upon by armed men, which prompted airlines to cancel their flights to Port-au-Prince.
In addition to the 80 high-rise houses that overlook the airport runway, 250 others that are in the airport's wake are on the demolition list. These houses are located from 30 meters to 60 meters from the airport wall, our source confides. "There is a slight pause in the demolition of houses because of checks that are not ready," our source confirmed. In Fil-Aéoroport, all the targeted houses have been demolished, our interlocutor specified.
The work of destroying the houses aims to secure the airport area against possible attacks by armed bandits who use the houses at height to target the runway.
Several other planned projects, including the widening of the runway at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the construction of a road to secure the perimeter of the airport, and the construction of police or military installations to secure the perimeter, remain in an embryonic phase seven months later.
While Tabarre's interim executive agent, Nice Simon, assured the press that the expropriation process was taking place in accordance with the law, some owners have filed an action for summary proceedings against the town hall to claim their checks, the newspaper learned. "They won the town hall premises before the court. The new project managers, including engineer Justin, wrongly kept the victims' checks under the pretext of conducting investigations. Engineer Justin could not justify to the judge in charge of the case the reason why the victims' checks were not delivered. There is nothing to say that an arrest warrant will not be issued against him for abuse of power," explained our source, who deplores the fact that the Ministry of Finance has still not corrected the spelling errors in the beneficiaries' names three months after the checks were issued.
In the first phase of the expropriation project, about 400 houses were destroyed. A significant amount, 320 houses, remain to be demolished. Two weeks after the resumption of demolition work, no one knows where things stand. All attempts to contact engineer Justin, the new project manager, have been in vain, even though he had promised to update the newspaper more than a week ago.
New Prime Minister Sworn in; Gary Conille is out
Haiti’s ruling presidential council welcomed a new prime minister, entrepreneur Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, on Monday after ousting the current executive, longtime United Nations civil servant Garry Conille, after less than six months in office. The shakeup in the country’s months-old political transition came after weeks of tensions between Conille — who did not attend the swearing-in ceremony for his replacement and was stripped of most of his security detail — and the nine-member Transitional Presidential Council.
After hailing the creation of the nine-member ruling council and Conille’s installation in May with a new cabinet, the Biden administration and others in the international community remained silent as council members moved to oust Conille. Despite protests from some of the sectors represented on the council that firing Conille would be illegal and the equivalent of a coup, council members moved ahead with the dismissal. On Sunday an executive order naming Fils-Aimé as Conille’s replacement leaked to the media.
A former candidate for the Haitian Senate and chamber of commerce president, Fils-Aimé listed restoring security throughout the country as a top priority, along with elections. He is aware, he said, of the huge responsibility bestowed on him and the exceptional context in which he’s being asked to lead. “I have a special thought for all of the victims of the criminal acts of bandits who continue to sow sadness and mourning amid the population,” Fils-Aimé said. “Women, young girls have been raped and have no choice but to leave their homes.... We cannot close our eyes to the mothers and children who flee, leaving all they have built … and can’t even send their children to school today.”
What is happening in Haiti, he said, naming neighborhoods where gangs in recent weeks have massacred residents, “is not acceptable.” Fils-Aimé said his government’s other top priority will be “to organize elections that are not contested.”
“We are all Haitians and we all have to come together,” he said. “Everybody will take their responsibility in the country.” The son of a well-known activist, Alix “Boulon” Fils-Aimé, who was involved in efforts to disarm gangs as a member of late President René Prévals private cabinet, the younger Fils-Aimé and the presidential council face significant challenges. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article295370414.html#storylink=cpy
Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has been fired by the country's ruling council less than six months after he took office. An executive order, signed by eight of the council's nine members, named businessman and former Haiti Senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as Conille's replacement.
Conille, a former United Nations official, was brought in to lead Haiti through an ongoing, gang-led security crisis and had been expected to help pave the way for the country's first presidential elections since 2016. He described his ousting as illegal, saying in a letter - seen by Reuters news agency - that it raised "serious concerns" about Haiti's future. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx7gjv22po
Twenty-four hours after his installation, the Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, proceeded with the installation of his chief of staff, in the person of Me Axène Joseph, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. A career lawyer, political activist, and former MP, Me Axène was Ricard Pierre's chief of staff at the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation. For Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, this choice is in line with her commitment to address the many current emergencies and with the aim of setting up a dynamic and competent team focused in particular on results relating to the Transition projects, according to what the Prime Minister's Office reported in a press release. https://lenational.org/post_article.php?pol=5677
The new Ministerial Cabinet has not been officially announced, but Radio Tele Metronome has reported: Ministerial cabinet, the list is supposed to be ready. Ketleen Florestal keeps the Planning portfolio, the MEF is discussed between two contenders, Daniel Dorsainvil or Alfred Métélus. Bernard Sainvil in pole position for the Ministry of Justice and Patrick Délatour is expected for the Ministry of Culture. Paul-Antoine Bien-Aimé, will be in charge of the Ministry of the Interior, Gabriel Thimothée could be promoted to the MSPP. The Ministry of Tourism is proposed to the Haitian Tourist Association and several associations of the diaspora are contacted to propose a name for the MHAVE. According to our information, the PM has an appointment with the presidential advisors to finalize the list this Wednesday from 1 PM. https://x.com/Radio_Metronome/status/1856730656849707076
US State Department on Haiti’s new Prime Minister
Following intensive discussions with the parties, the United States recognizes that the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) in Haiti and Prime Minister Garry Conille were unable to move forward in a constructive manner, and we take note of the TPC’s decision to name his successor. The United States looks forward to working with newly appointed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and the TPC to advance progress against urgent priorities in the coming months. The United States also thanks former prime minister Conille for his distinguished service to his country.
The United States welcomes the commitment of the TPC and new prime minister to release a joint action plan that outlines their vision to improve security and governance, and to set a path toward free and fair elections. The United States views it as vital that they clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the TPC vis-à-vis the prime minister and include measures to hold one another accountable as appropriate while preventing further gridlock.
It is also imperative to promote accountability within the TPC to maintain credibility with the Haitian people and the international community. The acute and immediate needs of the Haitian people mandate that the transitional government prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors. The United States remains steadfastly committed to supporting the Haitian people, who face historic levels of violence, food insecurity, and displacement. https://www.state.gov/designation-of-a-new-prime-minister-in-haiti/
Gunshot victims violently taken from MSF ambulance and executed
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemns in the strongest terms the killing of at least two patients who were executed after an MSF ambulance was stopped by members of a vigilante group and law enforcement officers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
On 11 November, an MSF ambulance transporting three young people with gunshot wounds was stopped by Haitian police about 100 metres from the MSF hospital in the Drouillard area of Port-au-Prince, and was forced to proceed with a transfer to a public hospital. After an attempt to arrest the patients and firing shots in the air, the police escorted the ambulance to Hôpital La Paix. Once there, law enforcement officers and members of a self-defence group surrounded the ambulance, slashed the tires, and tear-gassed MSF staff inside the vehicle to force them out. They then took the wounded patients a short distance away, outside the hospital grounds, where at least two of them were executed.
The MSF staff in the ambulance were violently attacked, insulted, tear-gassed, threatened with death, and held against their will for more than four hours before being allowed to leave. The MSF ambulance was damaged and left unable to drive, so the team departed in a second vehicle. https://www.msf.org/haiti-msf-outraged-attack-ambulance-and-execution-patients
Increase in violence after end of Viv Ansanm gang truce
The US, Canada and French Embassies have been closed for appointments and limiting operations since Monday, November 11. The US Embassy announced today:
Message to U.S. citizens: Due to the continued violence throughout the city and near the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, the embassy will be limiting operations. All appointments for visas and American Citizen Services are canceled. If you had an appointment for November 13, or 14, you will be contacted when a new appointment is available. If you are a U.S. citizen in Haiti whose flight has been cancelled, please call your Airline’s customer service office for specific information and advice. The security situation in Haiti in general is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.
https://x.com/USEmbassyHaiti/status/1856685267513475524
A young girl was killed by a bullet to the head and several other people injured in the Solino neighborhood, in new attacks by the coalition of armed gangs Viv Ansanm perpetrated on Sunday, November 10 and Monday, November 11, 2024, according to information gathered by the online agency AlterPresse. Among the victims injured in the attack on Monday, November 11, 2024, was an elderly person, who was rushed to hospital.
https://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article31120
Déborah Pierre, a urologist, tragically lost her life after falling under the bullets of armed bandits, on Cameau Street, in Port-au-Prince, yesterday, November 12, 2024. As she was leaving her father's clinic to get into her car, armed men opened fire, causing her death on the spot. Her father, also a doctor, was shot and injured, and was admitted to the hospital. https://x.com/AmeriqueInfo7/status/1856675356620501252
3000 schools are closed the West & Artibonite due to gang violence
Nearly 3,000 schools in the West and Lower Artibonite departments, located in gang-controlled areas, are closed.
These figures, revealed to AyiboPost by the director of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, Yves Roblin, highlight the failure of the authorities to contain gang violence. This situation particularly affects high schools and national schools, mainly attended by children from working-class backgrounds.
The West department has 6,857 schools, including 525 public and 6,332 non-public, according to data from the MENFP's Education Management Information System (SIGE). The Artibonite department has 2,621 schools, including 522 public and 2,099 non-public. The October school year began under gunfire from gangs. Many private and public schools are serving as temporary shelters for displaced people.
https://ayibopost.com/ouest-et-artibonite-3000-ecoles-fermees-a-cause-des-gangs/
Increased weapons and shootings in the northeast
Armed gangs shooting brazenly in Ouanaminthe neighborhoods have left at least 10 residents injured by stray bullets in recent weeks, with additional victims wounded over recent months still struggling to recover from severe injuries to the head, neck, or chest. In the border town separating Haiti from the Dominican Republic, an uptick in gang violence has left residents living in fear, with stray bullets injuring people in their homes.
The situation in Ouanaminthe reflects a broader security crisis in Haiti’s northeast, worsened by political instability, deportations of immigrants from the neighboring Dominican Republic, and the migration of gangs fleeing intensified police operations in the metropolitan areas of Port-au-Prince and Artibonite.
At night, the sound of gunfire echoes through once-peaceful streets, and residents say they feel unsafe even in their homes. “There are gunshots every night,” said Néhémie Joseph, 29, a vendor of beauty products. Another resident, Stanley Joazard, 30, described bullets as an ever-present danger inside Ouanaminthe.
Local authorities acknowledge the gravity of the situation and have pledged to intensify patrols. Ouanaminthe Police Commissioner Ronald Eugene stated that patrols will focus on both illegal possession of weapons and preventing misuse of legally owned firearms. “We are not the only armed force here,” said Eugene. “The police will continue to patrol the city, arresting those with unauthorized firearms to help bring security back to Ouanaminthe,” the commissioner of the Haitian National Police (PNH) in the city told The Haitian Times on Friday.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Ouanaminthe, Démétrius Luma, points to the porous border with the Dominican Republic as a major avenue for the trafficking of illegal arms. “Criminal networks exploit the border, smuggling weapons into Haiti with little oversight,” Luma said.
https://haitiantimes.com/2024/11/11/armed-gang-violence-escalates-in-haiti-northeast/
National Conference Proceedings Officially Begin
The Steering Committee of the National Conference officially launched its activities on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at the Karibe Hotel, with various members in attendance. During this event, particular emphasis was placed on the constitution working group, tasked with proposing constitutional revisions that incorporate feedback from organized sectors of national life.
The President of the National Conference, former Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, acknowledged that delays in securing resources had postponed the start of the committee's work, which was established over three months ago. "It took us time to get here. It's late, but not too late," Jean-Charles reassured. According to Jean-Charles, the National Conference aims to create a new societal framework for Haiti, reform the constitution, propose the necessary decree to enable its immediate application, and establish clearer relations between the state and society. These mandates of the National Conference are based on the April 3 agreement for a peaceful, orderly transition and the July 17, 2024 decree that established and organized the National Conference.
To achieve its goals, the National Conference has formed three working groups: one on the constitution, one on institutional and legal reforms, and one on a new societal framework. The constitution working group made its first public appearance at the launch ceremony. According to the coordinator, former deputy Jerry Tardieu, the constitution working group operates with full autonomy and will fulfill its patriotic duty in the interest of Haiti.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/251420/national-conference-proceedings-officially-begin
The BSA and Councilor Fritz Alphonse Jean are no longer speaking to each other
The divorce between the Montana Accord Monitoring Office (BSA) and its representative on the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), Fritz Alphonse Jean, seems to be complete. According to Jacques Ted Saint-Dic, a member of the BSA, invited to the Panel Magik show on Monday, November 11, 2024, the last conversation between the BSA and Mr. Jean dates back almost five months.
"Since June 7, we have had no contact with Fritz Alphonse Jean, who sits on the CPT," said Jacques Ted Saint-Dic, announcing a breakdown in dialogue between the BSA and the presidential advisor. This breakdown in contact between the two parties, according to Mr. Saint-Dic, comes after the BSA demanded that Mr. Jean return the funds allocated to intelligence that were allegedly embezzled. To date, according to Mr. Saint-Dic, Mr. Jean has never responded to this demand, emphasizing that the nine presidential advisors and the government are involved in this affair.
“Since April 30 and the revelation of the misappropriation of intelligence services' money for personal purposes, we had a conversation with Mr. Jean to tell him that he could not participate in this. We were clear with him, this money must be returned," revealed Jacques Ted Saint-Dic, indicating that the BSA does not intend to develop relations with those who betrayed the April 3 Agreement. The funds allocated to intelligence are of the order of 25 million gourdes monthly. Le Nouvelliste, in a previous article, reported on the salary, benefits and expenses obtained by presidential advisers by referring to the investigation report of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), itself citing the hearing of presidential adviser Smith Augustin.
In this document, in addition to the salary of 220,000 gourdes, the presidential advisers receive, according to the report: one (1) check representing one third (1/3) of the salary as operating expenses; residence expenses of four hundred thousand gourdes (400,000.00 HTG); intelligence expenses for the presidency of twenty-five million gourdes monthly (25,000,000.00 HTG/month); a prepaid card which should be between four hundred thousand and five hundred thousand gourdes (between 400,000.00 and 500,000.00 HTG); a fuel voucher of two hundred and fifty thousand gourdes (250,000.00 HGT); a recharge card of twenty thousand gourdes (20,000.00 HTG).
This breakdown in contact brought to light between the BSA and Fritz Alphonse Jean would put an end to nearly three years of collaboration between the two parties. Since his election as president of the said agreement in May 2022, relations between Fritz Alphonse Jean and the BSA have been the subject of turmoil. It should be remembered that in September 2022, Mr. Jean was accused of plotting "to destabilize the Montana Accord" by Jacques Ted Saint-Dic.