P-au-P., March 20, 2024 [AlterPresse] — The human rights organization Amnesty International calls, once again, on all States of the Americas, in particular the governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic, “to guarantee that Haitian nationals are not refouled at the border “.
Haitian nationals must have access to fair rights and an effective asylum procedure, hopes Amnesty International, in a note sent to the online agency AlterPresse.
“States must suspend returns to Haiti, because the situation in the country endangers the lives and security of Haitian nationals,” demands the international human rights organization, while asking the States of the Americas to put an end to racist policies and practices.
It encourages the international community to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of those who have been displaced and affected by armed gang violence.
The administration of President of the United States of America Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden plans to use the American base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, to process and possibly repatriate Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, in the event of an exodus mass to the United States, declared an American official cited by the American continuous news television channel Cable News Network (Cnn), in an article.
“People intercepted at sea are subject to immediate repatriation, in accordance with our long-standing policy and procedures. The United States returns or repatriates migrants intercepted at sea to the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti,” warned a spokesperson for the National Security Council on CNN.
On the afternoon of Tuesday March 19, 2024, the authorities of the Turks and Caicos Islands intercepted, on board a boat, 95 Haitian migrants (82 men and 13 women) who were handed over to the service of the immigration.
No lasting solution can begin to be built for Haiti “only through an approach, which prioritizes dialogue with civil society and the main political actors, the leadership of affected communities and an international response focused on respect for human rights,” said Ana Piquer Romo, director for the Americas at Amnesty International.
Six out of 7 personalities, from different political sectors, were appointed members of a Presidential Transitional Council formed with the help of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), following the resignation, on Monday March 11, 2024, of de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
For its part, the political party Son of Dessalines declined the invitation to be part of this presidential council.
Two other people have been designated as observers to this entity.
This Transitional Presidential Council, which will have to appoint a new interim prime minister, should include neither indicted people nor those under international sanctions, who are opposed to the United Nations (UN) resolution in favor of the deployment of Multinational Security Support Mission (Mmas) in Haitior who are candidates in the next elections.
As a criterion imposed by Caricom, all those who will be members of the Presidential Council should support Resolution 2699, which the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) voted on Monday October 2, 2023 to authorize an International Security Support Mission (Mmas) in Haiti, disapproves of the political party The roots of the people’s campin a note.
For its part, the political party Contrapèp the said it rejects the conditions imposed by the international community for a person to be a member of the Presidential Transitional Council, while recalling how the Haitian protagonists have already defined a set of criteria to choose the people to lead a disruptive transition in Haiti. [emb rc apr 20/03/2024 12:00]
