Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille departed from Port-au-Prince on Friday for visits to Washington and New York. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, Finance Minister Ketleen Florestal, and chief of staff Nesmy Manigat. Acting Prime Minister Carlos Hercule remained in Haiti while Conille was away.
“The delegation will have important work meetings with officials from international financial institutions, among others. It will also inspect Haiti’s embassy in Washington,” the office said, without giving further details.
The U.S. National Security Council spokesperson announced that Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer would meet with Conille on Monday. The U.S. funds a Kenya-led international security force authorized by the United Nations to assist Haitian police in combating armed gangs, which have caused a humanitarian crisis in the country. Haiti’s former government requested this force in 2022, and the initial deployment of Kenyan police arrived this week.
However, it remains unclear when the remaining force, expected to exceed 2,500 personnel, will arrive. As khaki-clad Kenyan police in bullet-proof jackets and helmets patrolled the city in black armored vans, residents of Port-au-Prince expressed hope that the force could end indiscriminate killings and facilitate the resumption of business activities.
“We need peace. If the Kenyan police forces are here, it’s so we can return to the lives we used to have. We hope they’ve come to work seriously,” said resident Kloud Dine.
“We need the Kenyans here a while here because the gang members make us suffer too much,” added Louise Baret, a painter. “Enough is enough.”
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier rallied armed men, telling them to fire on Kenyan police and pledging to fight to the death: “I don’t care if they are white or black. If they’re not Haitian and they’re on Haitian soil, they’re invaders,” he said.
Over half a million people have fled their homes due to the violence and around half the population is going hungry.
