Developments in Haiti move pretty fast. For our latest posts on Haiti you can refer to this link. For the latest news from Haiti you can check our Caribbean Tracker magazine as well as this Google News link.
The CCI co-sponsored a Policy Panel Discussion on Haiti on February 7, 2024. A recording of the discussion is available below.
Background
Haiti is currently facing a severe crisis of instability and protests that began in 2018. The situation is complex and resolving it will require addressing a range of interlinked issues.
Political Instability and Corruption: The politics of Haiti are considered historically unstable due to various coups d’état, regime changes, military juntas, and internal conflicts. Political corruption is widespread in Haiti, and it has consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt nations according to the Corruption Perceptions Index. The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 led to a power vacuum. Ariel Henry, the acting president, is unelected and viewed by many as illegitimate. The terms of Haiti’s last 10 remaining senators expired, leaving the country without a single elected government official.
Gang Violence: Gangs have consolidated control of more than half of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. A federation of over a dozen gangs, known as the G9 Family and Allies, blockaded the country’s largest fuel depot. The situation has resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. Between 1 January and 15 August 2023, at least 2,439 people have been killed and a further 902 injured1. In addition, 951 people have been kidnapped. The violence has also led to the rise of “popular justice” movements or self-defence groups, which have resulted in more than 350 people being lynched by local people and vigilante groups. Source: UNHCR
Economic Crisis: The global energy crisis in 2022 led to rising energy prices. The government’s decision to end fuel subsidies and increase the price of petroleum products led to widespread protests.
Humanitarian Crisis: Haiti is experiencing its worst-ever famine, with 4.7 million people facing acute hunger. There are also shortages of fuel and clean drinking water.
Historical Factors: Haiti’s current situation is also influenced by its history of international interventions, including the US occupation from 1915-1934, and the impact of “reparations” to France after independence in 1804.
Canada-Haiti relations
Canada has been highly engaged with Haiti for decades to promote security, stability, democracy and sustainable development and has been working with the international community to advance these priorities through vehicles like the United Nations, the Organization of American States, La Francophonie, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Canada also chairs the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti.
Since the 2010 earthquake, the Government of Canada has provided over $1.87 billion worth of funding to Haiti. Canada is the second-largest bilateral donor to Haiti after the United States. Since 2022, Canada has invested over $100 million in Haiti in international assistance in health, education, governance, security, and in the fight against corruption and impunity, food security, economic growth, and climate change. This includes $13 million in humanitarian assistance in 2023 to meet life-saving needs in Haiti, focusing on providing emergency food and nutrition assistance, logistical support, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and protection, particularly in response to gender-based violence. Strengthening the security sector and restoring the rule of law in Haiti is a key Canadian priority and in March 2023, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $100 million in new funding to support directly the Haitian National Police. Canada has also imposed sanctions on individuals who are fueling instability and violence in Haiti under the Special Economic Measures Act and has implemented the UN Security Council sanctions regime on Haiti.
See details of Canada’s bilateral relationship with Haiti.
The situation in Haiti was a central element of the October 2023 Canada-CARICOM Leaders Summit which held a full discussion session on the situation. Leaders also discussed the situation in Haiti in a number of bilateral meetings in the margins of the Summit.
CARICOM Involvement
Haiti is a member state of CARICOM and the organization has been preoccupied with the situation in Haiti for some time.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have appointed three former prime ministers (former Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie, the former Jamaica prime minister, Bruce Golding; and their St Lucian counterpart, Dr Kenny D. Anthony) as members of an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) as the regional integration grouping seeks to extend its good offices to the government of Haiti and other Haitian stakeholders. The group is focussed on facilitating negotiations on a Framework Agreement intended to provide a transitional governance arrangement to guide the country towards free and fair elections.
“The group will initiate and oversee the community’s provision of good offices support in designated priority areas, including security, governance, the electoral process, and long-term development planning and advocacy. They will also liaise with key international partners and agencies,” the CARICOM Secretariat said.
The EPG has lead a number of rounds of talks with Haitian stakeholders but agreement on a way forward has not been found.
United Nations October 2, 2023 Resolution
In what is being hailed as an historic first, the UN Security Council on October 2, 2023 authorized the deployment of an international security mission to help Haiti’s national police quell surging gang violence and restore security across the strife-torn Caribbean nation.
The mission was requested by the Haitian Government and civil society representatives, following months of chaos and steadily worsening conditions affecting civilians. See the United Nations link for more detail on the mission.
Kenya has indicated it will lead this multinational mission. A number of CARICOM countries have pledged to provide troops in support of this force: Jamaica, The Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda.