The UN Secretary-General's spokesperson called on the Haitian authorities to “facilitate the full implementation of the Transitional Governance Agreement” following Thursday's formal establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) and Prime Minister Ariel Henry's official resignation. The establishment of TPC was in response to the Caribbean island's rampant gang violence and worsening humanitarian crisis, which has been classified as an emergency by the United Nations.
The TPC's role is to select Haiti's next prime minister and cabinet following Henry's official resignation, with the aim of tackling serious gang violence. The organization was formally established in early April after Henry agreed to formally resign after being prevented from returning to Haiti by criminal organizations. Henry left the country in February with the aim of securing additional support in a deteriorating situation where police were outnumbered by heavily armed gangs. The UN report said “strong and armed gangs” seized the opportunity to launch “coordinated attacks on various targets since February, including police stations, prisons, airports and ports.” .
Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Haiti, pledged urgent action during a press conference at the United Nations Security Council on Monday. she said:
In early March, gangs launched coordinated attacks targeting key provincial infrastructure, including multiple police stations, Port-au-Prince's two main prisons, and educational, medical, and religious institutions. […] Approximately 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence in the first quarter of this year. This is an increase of 53 percent compared to the previous reporting period, making the first quarter of 2024 the most violent since BINUH's human rights department began recording statistics in January 2022. . […] Gangs systematically target national infrastructure and attack people who play key roles in governance, including judges, police officers, human rights defenders and journalists. These attacks further weakened state institutions and exacerbated already significant challenges to re-establishing the rule of law.
Salvador noted that the island's gang crisis is having a worrying impact on children, with limited access to essential services and worsening food insecurity. She went on to say that the impact on access to education makes children more susceptible to recruitment into gangs, which in turn exposes them to murder and violence, murder and other crimes. Stated.
The TPC aims to prevent a political vacuum from forming during the transition period between Henry's resignation and the appointment of a new cabinet and prime minister. Its mandate will not be renewed until February 7, 2026, the day the new government is sworn into office. Finance Minister Michel-Patrick Boisvert is currently serving as interim prime minister.
Gangs are reportedly making threats against TPC. According to Reuters, gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Sheridier “warned TPC members to be on their toes.” It also reported that a series of unidentified audio recordings contained orders to burn down houses “indiscriminately”.
TPC member Fritz Alphonse Jean Posted Posting a photo of the ceremony held at the National Palace on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “We will continue our fight for the transformation of our country. We need the talents of all our sons and daughters.”
