On July 5, 2021, during his inauguration speech at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Ariel Henry promised to free national road number 2 controlled by armed bandits, dislodge criminal groups established in Village-de-Dieu, Grand’ Ravine, put out of harm’s way the “400 Mawozo” gang which terrorizes the inhabitants of Croix-des-Bouquets. But, at the end of 32 months of his governance, the neurosurgeon left a catastrophic security legacy with the multiplication of criminal centers in Canaan, Croix-Périsse, among others.
Escorted by police officers from specialized units, the de facto Prime Minister, Dr. Garry Conille accompanied by the Director General of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Frantz Elbé and other members of the high command of the police institution, visited this Sunday a part of downtown Port-au-Prince controlled by bandits from the “Viv ansanm” coalition. According to sources at the Prime Minister’s office, Dr Conille wanted to inquire about the situation in areas deserted by their residents, but which serve as a hideout for armed groups.
From rue Capois, to rue Monseigneur Guilloux, the entourage of Dr Garry Conille evokes a depressing observation of the current physical state of the city center, drawn up by the Prime Minister. At the same time, no source reported any hostility or exchange of fire between bandits still in ambush in abandoned houses and the convoy.
The new head of the Prime Minister’s office, visibly motivated and showing a desire to succeed, follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, Ariel Henry who in the early hours of his installation promised to move mountains to curb the phenomenon of insecurity. In his installation speech at the Prime Minister’s Office on July 5, 2021, he pledged to lead the fight against organized crime and crime which is causing families to bereaved. Promises aimed at guaranteeing the safety of the population formed the backdrop to the neurosurgeon’s message.
In the end, Ariel Henry left power with a disastrous record on all fronts. Hundreds of people murdered, thousands of forced displaced people, two largest prison centers in the country are emptied of inmates, more than twenty police installations destroyed by gangs. One of the ministers in Dr. Henry’s de facto government, the intellectual Emmelie Prophète Milcé prides herself on noting the expansion of gangs to the point of describing the new conquests of criminal organizations as “lost territories.”
Hervé Noël
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