HDPAC and ODIHA Urge Global Support for Transitional Government in Haiti
March 8, 2024 (New York, NY) – Following the fatal incident involving President Jovenel Moise, there has been a significant displacement among the Port-au-Prince population and nationwide shortages of essential supplies like food, water, and medicines. Over the past three years, the United Nations has documented instances of terror inflicted on various Haitian communities by heavily armed criminal gangs, resulting in the deaths of around five thousand individuals.
Recently, this troubling situation has escalated into a full-blown civil war where organized gangs have managed to liberate thousands of high-risk inmates from two penitentiaries, launch attack on government infrastructures, the international airport as well as multiple police precincts. Consequently, death rates and instability are mounting at an alarming rate.
Dr. Ariel Henry, along with his present government body, has consistently failed to combat these urgent issues related to insecurity and gang-induced violence.
To effectively mitigate this situation, we are urging Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down immediately. We propose that a newly constituted neutral entity, which has the backing of every section of the Haitian population, including the Haitian diaspora, assumes responsibility with clear and specific mandates. These should include establishing nationwide security and conducting fair and free elections within a precise, reasonable timeframe agreed upon by all involved stakeholders.
We make a fervent appeal to the global community, particularly the United States, to extend their support to this interim government by offering necessary humanitarian aid, and deploying a proficient policing force to assist, equip, and train local Haitian police in conjunction with the Haitian Military.
We further urge the U.S. to immediately block the illegal transportation of arms and ammunition from their nation to the violent gangs that have killed and terrorized countless innocent Haitians. As emphasized by Dr. Georges J. Casimir, President of the Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee: “The moment for dialogues is past us. This is a time for decisive actions, and installing a new transitional government is the initial step to avert an imminent civil war in Haiti.”
The Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee has been committed to collaborating with all individuals keen on seeing a democratic Haiti. In line with this objective, Retired Lt. General Russell Honoré has agreed to provide his expert advice to aid the process of restoring security in Haiti.
Further emphasizing our preparedness, David L. Alexis, President of the Office of the Haitian Diaspora, said, “We in the Haitian Diaspora foresaw the deterioration of the situation in Haiti; in 2022, we partnered with General Honoré in an attempt to resolve this crisis at the Diaspora Unity Summit held in Louisiana at Southern University in Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, the U.S. State Department, France, and Canada continued to offer their support to Ariel Henry even though the Haitian population clearly expressed their desire for Ariel’s exit.”
We, the Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee and the Office of the Haitian Diaspora, request President Joe Biden, his administration, and specifically the U.S. State Department, to offer active support to the transitional government, extend TPS (Temporary Protective Status) for undocumented Haitians, and halt deportations back to Haiti.
We hope the global community will respect Haiti’s sovereignty by allowing its citizens to determine the future leadership of the transitional government of the Western Hemisphere’s second oldest republic, without unwarranted interventions or influence from foreign entities.
Dr. Georges J. Casimir, President
Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee
David L. Alexis, President
Office of the Haitian Diaspora