President William Ruto Saturday welcomed the formal Proclamation by Decree establishing the Presidential Transition Council (PTC) of Haiti.
He said the decision is evident of the collective courage and singular sacrifice of the Haitian Council of Cabinet to forge a Haiti free of violence and to entrench a new democratic administration.
“We look forward to the PTC moving with speed to appoint the Prime Minister and Cabinet.”
“I commend the leadership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for their steadfast stewardship of the intense consultations that led to the establishment of a Presidential Transitional Council that reflects the diverse sections of Haitian society,” he said.
Kenya will lead a multi agency team to Haiti to fight gangs that have controlled much of the country.
Kenya which will lead the team to combat the gangs plans to deploy more than 1,000 officers to Haiti to help in the mission.
The teams are from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU).
This is a combat trained team that officials say can handle the situation on the ground professionally.
Ruto said Kenya expresses confidence that the new political leadership will lay a strong foundation for resolution of the crisis in Haiti, restoration of security, afford the Haitian people a political transition and usher in sustainable peace and development.
“Kenya reiterates its strong solidarity with Haiti and stands ready to make its contribution within the framework elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2699 of 2023.”
Haiti’s government formalized the creation of a nine-member transitional presidential council on Friday, a long-delayed move intended as the first step in restoring security to the gang ravaged Caribbean country.
The decree, however, leaves many questions unanswered.
It does not name the new council members or establish a time frame for installing the council and replacing Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who pledged one month ago to step down once his successor was in place.
Indicating the unelected Henry will initially retain oversight of proceedings, the decree allows the current prime minister to make the “necessary arrangements” ahead of the new appointments. Those chosen must then “participate, in agreement with the prime minister, in the formation of an inclusive ministers’ cabinet.”
It calls on the council to help speed the development of international troops Henry requested in 2022 to aid police in their battles with armed and increasingly powerful gangs.
Nearly 95,000 people have fled the metropolitan area of the capital Port-au-Prince in the last month as armed gangs have cemented their control. Haitians are lacking basic goods as key ports remain closed, while the outgoing government remains absent.
The decree, published in Haiti’s official gazette, names the nine political parties or social sectors to be represented on the council, including two non-voting observers, confirming an announcement made last month.
The transition plan was announced on March 11 as armed men mounted attacks on parts of Port-au-Prince they did not already control, while Henry remained stranded outside the country.
Friday’s decree stipulates the council be headquartered in the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, which has come under fire several times in the past weeks.
After the decree was published, local media reported more gunfire in parts of Port-au-Prince. An officer, Pierre Fritz Chenet, was shot dead while visiting relatives on the port side of the city, a police union spokesperson said.
The government said in a separate statement it had invited the designated council representatives to submit documents to prove their eligibility at government offices in the capital.
The transition plan was agreed with the mediation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The nine groups named by CARICOM a month ago and in Friday’s decree have all put forward council candidates, but their nominations have yet to be formalized despite frequent pledges that such an announcement was near.
The delayed transition has prompted critics to accuse Henry’s allies of hampering the process in order to hold onto power. The government has said it is working through legal and constitutional problems “as fast as possible.”
CARICOM welcomed Friday’s decree, reiterating the need for the new leaders to urgently address the security situation so schools and businesses can reopen and people can travel freely and access basic supplies.
Haiti: The basics
The Caribbean country shares a border with the Dominican Republic and has an estimated population of 11.5 million
It has a land area of 27,800 sq km, which is slightly smaller than Belgium and about the same size as the US state of Maryland
Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural disasters in recent decades have left Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas
An earthquake in 2010 killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and the economy
A UN peacekeeping force was put in place in 2004 to help stabilise the country and only withdrew in 2017
In July 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Port-au-Prince. Amid political stalemate, the country continues to be wracked by unrest and gang violence.
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