Photo: Clarens Siffroy Agence France-Presse Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was sworn in Monday in an investiture speech in French broadcast live on national television.
Jean-Daniel Sénat – Agence France-Presse and Nicolas Revise – Agence France-Presse respectively in Port-au-Prince and Washington
Published yesterday at 7:41
- Amériques
Haiti's new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, “committed” Monday to “restoring security” in the Caribbean country in chaos, at a time when a U.S. airliner came under fire from Port-au-Prince before being diverted to the Dominican Republic.
After only five months in power, outgoing Prime Minister Garry Conille was dismissed and replaced, against his will and after a conflict with the Transitional Presidential Council, by businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who took the oath of office in an investiture speech in French, from the Haitian capital, live on national television.
The new prime minister promised to “work tirelessly […] for political cohesion” and the “restoration of security” in the country.
“I am committed […] to putting my energy, my skills and my patriotism at the service of the national cause,” declared Mr. Fils-Aimé, who also mentioned upcoming “elections,” while the country has been without a president since 2021.
Crises
His predecessor Garry Conille had been appointed in early June to try to stabilize the country.
The decision to remove him from office came on Sunday, when the Presidential Council wanted to change the heads of several ministries against the advice of the outgoing prime minister.
Mr. Conille had then denounced a decision against him “tainted by illegality”.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Haiti has suffered from chronic political instability for decades. But in recent months, this Caribbean country has had to deal with a new resurgence of gang violence, which controls 80% of Port-au-Prince.
These armed groups, accused of numerous murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings for ransom, decided at the beginning of the year to join forces to overthrow the then prime minister, Ariel Henry.
After his resignation in April, a nine-member Transitional Presidential Council was set up to exercise executive power, with the heavy task of restoring security and organizing elections.
The last ones date back to 2016.
Photo: Odelyn Joseph Associated Press Journalists take cover during a shootout between members gangs and Haitian police officers, Monday, in Port-au-Prince.
Multinational Force
The situation has continued to worsen since then, despite the establishment of the multinational police support mission.
Supported by the UN and the United States, this mission led by Kenya began to deploy this summer with so far just over 400 men.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Haitian political actors to “overcome their differences” and “work together,” according to his spokesperson.
The UN mission in Haiti (BINUH) counted 1,233 murders committed between July and September, 45% of which were attributable to law enforcement and 47% to gangs, in this country of 12 million of inhabitants.
Particularly violent acts sometimes target children, with victims mutilated with machetes, stoned, decapitated, burned alive or buried alive.
Horrors that have driven more than 700,000 people, half of them children, to flee their homes to seek refuge elsewhere in the country, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
A sign of this climate of violence, just before Mr. Fils-Aimé’s inauguration, a flight from the American company Spirit Airlines leaving Florida and bound for Port-au-Prince was diverted Monday to Santiago in the Dominican Republic.
An inspection “revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” said the American low-cost carrier, which also reported “minor injuries” inflicted on a crew member.
A short video broadcast on X, notably by the media Haitian Times based in New York, shows several bullet holes in the fuselage and cabin of the plane, an Airbus.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has “strongly condemned the latest attacks on civil aviation in Haiti” and “called on the Haitian government to take immediate action to secure air routes and restore confidence in the country’s aviation sector,” in a message on X.
Spirit Airlines’ flights to Haiti have been suspended, as have American Airlines flights.