Two of the largest unions in Haiti announced their plans to undertake a general strike that seeks to paralyze activities in Port-au-Prince from Monday, January 29, in protest against the security situation that the country is experiencing due to the action of criminal groups. The gangs, which operate as organized crime gangs, already control 80% of the capital and are estimated to be close to having absolute power. Meanwhile, the stagnation of the sending of the international mission approved by the UN has generated uncertainty and hopelessness among the population.
Haitian workers rebel against violence on the island. On January 25, the Trade Union Anti-Corruption Brigade (BSAC) called on the Haitian workforce to carry out a massive strike, with the aim of showing their disagreement with the management of the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, in the face of the serious security crisis they are experiencing. the country, which adds to widespread poverty and political instability after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, on July 7, 2021.
With the support of the National Central of Haitian Workers (CNOHA), the strike will extend until January 31, focusing their disagreement on the road blockades imposed by some gangs throughout the territory, which block the transit and arrival of basic supplies from the periphery to the capital, where the humanitarian crisis worsens every day.
“The price of basic items is increasing in the south and in the extreme north of the country. Farmers in the south cannot transport their products to the capital. We are all victims in the population,” said Sonson Dumé, general coordinator of the BSAC. , to local media.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Möise in 2021, Haiti has been plunged into a political crisis from which it has not been able to emerge. This is added to the humanitarian and economic crisis that the country has been going through for more than a decade, exacerbated by the 2010 earthquake, from which the island has not been able to fully recover after fourteen years.
With the existing power vacuum, generated by the accumulation of tragedies in the Caribbean nation, the poorest in America, criminal organizations have taken up arms to directly confront the weak Haitian security forces, seeking to wrest control of the capital. Haitian government, using a wave of terror against the population.
Uncertainty and hopelessness due to the lengthy multinational police mission
Given the impunity of Haitian criminal groups, the Government urged in 2022 for international assistance to confront its internal instability, however, the international community had not found among its members a voluntary State that was willing to lead a mission of this nature in the island.
Kenya raised its hand in July 2023, applying to the United Nations to command an international mission, with the aim of strengthening the national Police and facilitating the fight against gangs. .
Although the UN approved the mission last October, the Kenyan Supreme Court described the plan to send national security forces to Haiti as “unconstitutional” on January 25, alleging that there is no “reciprocal agreement” with the receiving country.
The decision of the judicial body of the African country has caused despair in Haiti.
“The situation has boiled over. Enough is enough, every day you feel like there is no hope,” said Malory Laurent, a pastor who spoke to local radio on January 25, after learning of the court ruling in Nairobi. Such a multinational mission would also include support from Jamaica, Belize, Burundi, Senegal, Chad and the Bahamas.
The Haitian Police, dismembered
The wave of violence in Haiti is going through a “critical point,” as stated by the United Nations special envoy for the island, María Isabel Salvador, during a meeting with the organization's Security Council on January 25, where she warned that The numbers of gang victims in Haitian territory increased by 122% last year compared to 2022, counting around 8,400 people who have suffered the ravages of violence.
The need for an international mission to promote the fight against gangs is materialized in the weakness of the police forces in Port-au-Prince. According to UN information, there are only 10,000 police officers available in the entire Haitian territory, which is home to around 11 million people.
To meet the needs of the population, the police arm should be made up of about 25,000 active members, according to United Nations notes. However, low salaries, poor working conditions and the danger that police work entails have led to a worrying attrition rate, with more than 1,600 police officers leaving their positions in 2023.
“In the absence of a solid foreign mission that is deployed very soon, we face a quite tragic scenario in Haiti,” said Diego Da Rin, an expert on Haiti within the International Crisis Group and who highlights the need for a “plan B” to Haiti.
The US reaffirms its support for police deployment in Haiti
The decision of the Kenyan Judiciary provoked a reaction from Washington, which, despite “recognizing” the legitimacy of the decision of the Supreme Court in Nairobi, showed its concern about the situation of said international mission, underlining its importance for the stability of the region and expressing their commitment to the cause.
“The United States' commitment to the Haitian people remains unwavering. We reaffirm our support for continued international efforts to deploy a multinational support mission for Haiti,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Government of Haiti has also reacted to the stagnation of the international mission that Kenya leads, stating that they are “monitoring the evolution of the case”, from which they expect a “rapid and positive” result.
The Government of the Republic of Haïti, honors the President Wiliam RUTO and the Kenyan people who accept the leadership of the Mission Multinationale de Support à la Sécurité en Haïti (MSS)https://t.co/8cTmGO6wwj
— Communication Haïti (@MCHaiti) January 28, 2024
In addition to thanking the international community and specifically the Kenyan president, William Rutto, the letter published by the Haitian Government also emphasizes that “this is not the time to venture, nor to return to the maneuvers that in the past contributed to aggravating the situation of the country”.
With a dark past regarding international humanitarian missions, particularly due to the United Nations “blue helmets” scandal, Haiti is facing another devastating crisis that forces the island to resort to international assistance, which appears to be hampered.
Meanwhile, Haiti continues to be immersed in one of the worst crises, which has already caused the exodus of more than 300,000 nationals within its own territory.
With AP, EFE, Reuters and local media
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