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PoliticsHaiti

Haiti transitional council names Garry Conille PM

May 29, 2024

The UN development specialist previously served as Haiti's prime minister for a brief period. His selection comes as Haiti grapples with a major security crisis.

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New Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, pictured on September 20, 2024
Haiti's transitional council has named Garry Conille prime ministerImage: Ben Hider/AFP/Getty Images

UN development specialist Garry Conille has been named Haiti's new prime minister by the country's transitional council.

The move comes amid a security crisis in the Caribbean country, with armed gangs controlling most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and parts of the countryside.

The transitional council was formed last month after former Prime Minister Ariel Henry formally resigned.

A member of the council told the AFP news agency that Conille was elected 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon.

Council President Edgard Leblanc also announced the decision on social media.

Who is Garry Conille?

Conille has been UNICEF's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean since January 2023 and briefly served as prime minister from October 2011 to May 2012.

UNICEF said in a short statement to late Tuesday that he was stepping down from his role as regional director: "We are working closely with Garry to ensure a smooth transition at this time."

What is the political situation in Haiti?

Haiti is waiting for the deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force tasked with returning control of the capital to the state.

Following Henry's resignation, Kenya said it would halt the deployment of its multinational force until a new government is installed.

Haiti has had no president since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in 2021 and has no sitting parliament.

The country's last election was held in 2016.

Haiti's gang violence pushes country to the brink

Gang violence in Haiti

Gangs launched a series of attacks on police stations, prisons and other infrastructure in February while Henry was on a state visit to Kenya.

Armed groups released over 4,000 inmates after storming the country's two largest prisons.

Henry was locked out of the country by the attacks and Haiti's airport in Port-au-Prince was not operational for three months.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands displaced in the upsurge of gang violence.

Last week, gang members killed three missionaries, a Haitian and a US couple.

sdi/fb (AP, AFP)