With a contested government, failing institutions, and international solidarity seemingly struggling to effectively address the needs of the Haitian people, this is how the United Front of the Diaspora organization depicts the situation in Haiti, continuously raising concerns.
In this complex context, the United Front of the Haitian Diaspora takes a stand and expresses its concerns about the challenges facing the country.
The Front strongly denounces the current government, labeling it as illegitimate and lamenting its apparent complicity with obscure forces and violent gangs. “This illegitimate government does not serve the country and the people. It is perceived as corrupt, complicit in gang violence, dark forces undermining our country, and the squandering of national resources,” denounces the Haitian diaspora front.
The nonprofit organization based in the United States also criticized the international community, stating that it “largely created this chaotic situation and continues to support Ariel Henry’s government despite its incompetence, indifference to the people’s suffering, despite the massacres, rapes, and tortures perpetrated by the gangs.”
The humanitarian situation is alarming, with 5.2 million people requiring humanitarian aid, half of them being women and children. Despite having significant influence, the diaspora struggles to define a clear strategy to contribute effectively to crisis resolution, notes the organization presided over by Dr. Joel Augustin.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the United Front of the Diaspora laments that Haitian civil society and the diaspora are marked by deep divisions, hindering the search for consensus solutions.
Despite its economic and political potential, the diaspora fails to unite around a common project, thus reducing its potential positive impact, highlights the Front’s note, which calls for concerted action from the diaspora, collaborating with all sectors of national life and international partners to lay the groundwork for genuine and lasting change.
Given the complexity of the situation, drastic measures must be taken to create conditions favoring inclusive dialogue and a responsible transitional government capable of organizing free and fair elections, proposes the United Front of the Haitian Diaspora, advocating for coordinated international aid while ensuring avoidance of pitfalls from ill-advised interventions.
Regarding the security situation, the Front advocates for a complete overhaul of Haiti’s security system, with a restructuring of the National Police and a firm commitment to eradicate gangs terrorizing the civilian population.
“During the first 4 months of 2023, about 807 people were murdered, 746 injured, not to mention rapes and tortures caused by the bandits,” reads the front’s statement, regretting that “since 1980, all previous administrations, including Aristide, Martelly, and Moïse, as well as rival politicians, have tolerated and used gangs for their own ends.”
The majority of neighborhoods in the capital are controlled by armed bandits, and the situation is no different in some provincial cities.
While the United Nations Security Council had approved the resolution authorizing the deployment of a security mission in Haiti several months ago, the UN has yet to present the schedule, terms, and conditions of the deployment of this force, which should be led by Kenya. So far, Kenya has not given any guarantee that it will take the reins of the mission, as the conditions of Kenya have not yet been satisfied by the international community.