Haiti

Political deadlock and surging gang violence persist as Haiti marks one year since President Jovenel Moise’s killing.

Amid the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Haiti, discussions about the country’s future governance remain deadlocked, UN Special Representative Helen La Lime said in a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday.

A surge in violence fuelled by heavily armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, prompted the UN rights chief on Tuesday to express her deep concern over its severe impact on human rights across the Caribbean nation.

The United States has charged a former Haitian senator in relation to the assassination of the country’s President Jovenel Moise in July last year, the Justice Department announced.

Clashes in Haiti between rival gangs in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have forced hundreds of people to flee their homes, the UN Deputy Spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Worsening violence in parts of the Haitian capital has renewed fears of a loss of access to the northern part of the country. The violence comes as local gangs fight for power.

[…] The security situation in Haiti has been deteriorating for months, with gangs exerting influence far beyond the poor neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. The Caribbean nation is also facing an increase in kidnappings: between five and 10 people are abducted every day in Haiti, according to Haitian human rights organizations.

[…] Polarization continues to define Haitian politics, as differences over the country’s current governance arrangements persist.

[…] Monday marked not only seven months since President Jovenel Moïse was slain at his private residence but also the end of his term, with opponents demanding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down, arguing that his administration is unconstitutional.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said immediate action is needed to fix the security situation in Haiti, which is in the throes of a deepening constitutional crisis in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moise’s assassination last year.