Meeting in Paris on November 9 and 10, the G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union adopted a joint statement on Haiti. The text lends strong support to the security effort while taking a sharper tone on the credibility of the electoral process and on governance. It comes amid intensified operations against armed gangs and repeated postponements of the vote.
The statement, made public on Wednesday, November 11, first welcomes the renewal of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) mandate through the end of March 2027. The ministers of the seven most industrialized nations ā Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom ā along with the European Union, call on the international community to support the strengthening of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Haitian Armed Forces (FAdāH), as well as the consolidation of the rule of law and the fight against impunity. They also demand that all security forces operating on Haitian soil place āthe protection of Haitian civilians at the center of all their operations.ā
On the diplomatic front, the G7 welcomes the renewal of the United Nations sanctions regime targeting individuals and entities that threaten the countryās peace and stability. But it is on the electoral question that the tone hardens most sharply. The ministers say they have noted āwith concernā the participation of individuals subject to international sanctions in the political process ā a situation that, they say, undermines accountability and public trust. Though no names are given, the message is directed squarely at figures positioning themselves for the vote.
The G7 takes note of the postponement of the first round of presidential and legislative elections to July 2027. It nonetheless demands the āfull and impartialā implementation of the electoral decree and āconcrete resultsā that can restore public confidence in the process. āThe people of Haiti have the right to decide their future through democratic processes and through officials who work with integrity in the service of the general interest,ā the ministers say.
The statement comes as Haitiās electoral process has stalled for months.
The first round, initially scheduled for December 13, 2026, was postponed indefinitely in October before being rescheduled for July 2027. Preparations remain hampered by insecurity: several communes remain outside the authoritiesā control, fewer than 800,000 voters have registered in a country with roughly 7 million eligible voters, and the closure of many roads under gang threat is complicating the delivery of electoral materials.
On the ground, operations against armed groups have intensified in recent weeks. The Haitian National Police, backed by the Task Force, carried out raids on November 8 against kidnapping strongholds in Delmas 2, Bel-Air, rue Saint-Martin and ruelle Mayard, notably deploying kamikaze drones. The same day, Salvadoran soldiers resumed operations in the Cul-de-Sac plain and at Croix-des-Bouquets after a suspension tied to disagreements over intelligence-sharing with other forces involved. Although these Salvadoran operations have raised hopes among part of the population, they are largely conducted outside the GSFās mandate and oversight mechanisms, the UN has noted.
The G7 and the European Union also express their ādeep concernā over the ongoing humanitarian crisis, widespread violence and reports of human rights violations. They call on the international community to increase its financial contributions to the United Nations trust fund, on which financing for the international forceās operations depends. Finally, they welcome the pact reached between the World Bank and Haitian authorities, described as a framework of mutual accountability meant to assess reforms and support the countryās economic recovery.
The statement puts the responsibility squarely on Haitian authorities and the Provisional Electoral Council. It remains to be seen whether this international pressure will translate into concrete decisions ā particularly on the eligibility of sanctioned candidates ā in a country that has waited since 2016 for credible elections to be held.
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