Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé says law enforcement authorities are making “some serious inroads” into gang-controlled areas and remains confident that national elections can be held before the end of the year.
Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on the margins of the CARICOM leaders’ summit, Fils-Aimé said security forces have begun regaining territory in the capital.
“We are regaining parts of Port-au-Prince, parts that were under gang control and are back under police and state control,” he said.
Haiti has not held national elections since 2016, when Jovenel Moïse was elected president. Moïse was assassinated at his private residence overlooking the capital in July 2021. An interim administration has governed the country since then, with no national polls held since April 2024.
According to the United Nations Security Council, gang violence has displaced more than 1.5 million people and resulted in over 8,100 deaths during the first 11 months of last year alone.
The UN is transitioning the Kenya-led multinational mission into a 5,500-member Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to support Haiti’s national police in securing the capital and critical infrastructure.
Fils-Aimé outlined a three-phase security strategy approved by the Council of Ministers. The first phase involves coordinated operations by the police, army and the UN-backed GSF to confront armed gangs. The second phase centers on the justice system, with arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment for those responsible for violence.
The third phase, he said, focuses on reintegration efforts for young people recruited into gangs.
“Those people…whether they are men, boys, young girls, they need to be taken to centres that are ready, and we are starting to finance them with the help of UNICEF, and that’s where we will take those kids, give them a job, and get them reinserted into society,” he said. “Justice is necessary for us to get security, and we are working on it.”
The prime minister said Haiti recently reached what he described as a key political milestone, with most major political parties signing an accord aimed at ensuring stability and committing to participate in elections.
“We are heading to the elections, we have found an agreement between Haitians, and we have decided that we are moving forward,” he said. “We are expecting that by the end of the year, we will be ready to host the first round of the elections.”
On February 7, the mandate of the Provisional Transitional Council came to an end. The United States has since signaled its readiness to work with the prime minister and the Council of Ministers to stabilize the country, alongside support from the European Union and Canada.
Fils-Aimé acknowledged allegations of corruption involving some former members of the transitional presidential council but noted that the claims were not directed at him.
“We are a country where we respect the rule of law and every single one of them will have to answer to the law,” he said.
He also addressed the stalled prosecution in Haiti related to Moïse’s assassination, noting that investigations are ongoing both locally and in the United States, including proceedings involving the FBI.
“Justice sometimes takes a little time, but justice will be served,” he said.
Under the terms of the political pact, Fils-Aimé will not be permitted to contest the upcoming elections.
“Unfortunately, I cannot be a candidate,” he said. “I will be an impartial player, I will be the judge to make sure that elections are fair, free so that the people of Haiti can choose who they want as their leader.”
caribbeannationalweekly.com
