Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 22 juin 2023

 Caribbean Leaders Rule Out Sending Troops to Haiti

VOA News

Caribbean leaders attending an annual trade bloc meeting say they will not send a force to Haiti to help stop worsening gang violence in that country.

The spiraling violence in Haiti has been a key topic at the 15-member CARICOM meeting in the Bahamas with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry asking for an international military intervention to stop the gang attacks in his country.

When asked by VOA's Creole Service about possible troop involvement in Haiti, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said, "No, we are not sending troops. That much I can answer."

In October, Haiti requested help from the United Nations Security Council and has suggested the U.S. and Canada lead a force. No such intervention has come together, and neither country has offered to take the lead.

The prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, said Friday that CARICOM was working on a project for strengthening the Haitian police and security.

He told VOA's Creole Service that a working group set up to help resolve the crisis in Haiti would expand to include political actors there who signed a December accord. That agreement aims to pave the way for new elections in Haiti and the establishment of a transitional council.

Gonsalves said the effort would help Haiti move toward both a political and a security solution.

"Let them work in tandem," he said.

Also Friday, Haiti's prime minister welcomed action by the United States and Canada to sanction Haitian individuals believed to be connected to the gang violence.

Henry also said that Haiti sanctioned two more Haitian politicians with alleged ties to the gangs.

Haiti has seen a surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings blamed on gangs emboldened since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

At the opening meeting Wednesday, CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett reiterated the preference for finding a Haiti-led solution to the country's challenges.

"Even as progress is being made on some fronts, CARICOM and indeed the wider international community continue to struggle to help Haiti resolve its multifaceted crises," Barnett said. "We will continue our efforts to assist all stakeholders in Haiti to ensure a Haitian-owned resolution to the crises."

Barnett said the region's leaders "will have to show the resilience and fortitude of the Haitian people" in resolving regional challenges and improving the lives of people in the Caribbean community. She added that the goal is creating a "safe, sustainable, prosperous and viable community for all."

In addition to leaders from CARICOM's 15 member states, representatives from other nations, including Canada and the United States, are participating in the meeting.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that Canada would send navy vessels to Haiti for intelligence-gathering as part of efforts to mitigate the gang violence.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.

Haiti PM at crisis talks in Jamaica 'to listen'

The Gleaner - Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry says he is attending crisis talks in Jamaica 'to listen' and help determine how the country can rebuild from the latest rounds of political and economic turmoil. 

"We did not come here to negotiate for another agreement. We are here to listen... talk about... the next steps we have to take to rebuild our democracy," Henry said Sunday morning at the Liberty Hall at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston. 

Henry noted that agreements have struck in the past and acknowledged that critics may also point to previous consultations involving political and civil society stakeholders.

The three-day consultation involves representatives from various groups in the French-speaking CARICOM country of more than 12 million people. It is being facilitated by CARICOM's Eminent Persons Group - Bruce Golding (Jamaica), Perry Christie (Bahamas) and Dr Kenny Anthony (St Lucia) - all former prime ministers. 

Speaking on behalf of the group, Golding said he hopes the Haitian representatives will see Jamaica as a "comfortable space in which to wrestle" with the challenges confronting their society.

"Yes, the discussions will most likely be contentious at times. Yes, ideas will be put forward that will attract criticism and objection. Yes, each of you must have the opportunity to put forward your positions firmly. We ask only that it be done respectfully, with a willingness not just to listen to contending views but to consider their merits before brushing them aside," he said. 

CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett said the meeting "will enable the dialogue necessary to develop a roadmap towards a Haitian-led solution". She continued: "Let it be very clear Haiti is important to CARICOM. Haiti is our single largest member state; Haiti is the first free Black republic in the world, the first independent state in the Caribbean and the second independent state in the Western Hemisphere."

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who has been leading CARICOM's response to the Haitian situation, said Jamaica is "honoured" to host the parties "at a time when dialogue, at the highest possible level, is essential, necessary and critical to achieving consensus".

"We recognise the importance of making every effort to find solutions," he added. These latest consultations are resulting from a CARICOM delegation Holness led to Haiti in February for high-level talks with government officials and members of civil society. 

During a visit to Jamaica last month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acknowledged that Jamaica was the first country to have expressed a willingness to be part of an international police force to quell the bloodletting in the State that is torn by gang warfare and political upheavals. But he said there has been a reluctance on the part of the countries that have a stronger capacity to be able to lead this kind of operation.

Guterres said the reluctance by the international community to intervene can only be addressed by putting in place a political process that is credible. That is why the Jamaican initiative is so important, he said.

Powerful gangs have been infiltrating once peaceful communities in the Haitian capital and beyond, with experts estimating that they control more about 60 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince.

They have pillaged neighbourhoods, raped adults and children and kidnapped hundreds of victims ranging from US missionaries to a hot dog street vendor in a bid to control more territory, with violence worsening since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Haiti has failed to hold elections since Moïse's murder and Henry assumed power shortly after, promising that his administration would do so.

In early January, the terms of the remaining 10 senators expired, leaving no elected officials in place. 

Caribbean leaders have also complained about a surge in migrants that they say is straining the budgets of small islands struggling with the influx of hundreds of Haitians.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and among the poorest countries in the world. Recent flooding and an earthquake have exacerbated problems.  

-The Associated Press and Ainsworth Morris contributed to this report. 

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STATEMENT FROM THE MEETING OF THE CARICOM EMINENT PERSONS GROUP WITH HAITIAN STAKEHOLDERS IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA

A wide cross-section of Haitian stakeholders, a microcosm of Haitian society, met in Kingston, Jamaica, at the invitation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on 11-13 June 2023.  Stakeholders welcomed the inclusive nature of the meeting.

The meeting sought to facilitate inclusive dialogue among Haitian stakeholders in an effort to find a solution to the protracted multi-dimensional crisis in which the country has been mired.

Stakeholders addressed the core issues of the interim governance measures needed to restore confidence in the transition and to ensure that the government could deliver its commitments.  These commitments include the critical issue of security and stability; the organisation of credible general elections to choose a legitimate and representative government; constitutional reform; and the pursuance of fundamental reforms required to preclude a repeat of the current crisis.

Stakeholders widely expressed that there was a need to build confidence and trust in the interim administration in order to effectively address the security crisis and for preparations for elections to commence. In this regard, there was widespread stakeholder support for modification of the structures of government in the interim period.

The Interim Prime Minister, Dr Ariel Henry, committed to greater inclusiveness in governance through the establishment of a government of national unity, beginning with working with the partners of the December 21 Accord to increase the number of members of the High Transition Council (HCT) in order to include representatives of a wider group of stakeholders. In this regard, the Prime Minister made a statement to the meeting, which is attached.

Several other suggestions were made of mechanisms reflecting the spirit and intent of the Haitian constitution by implementing a governance structure based on a presidency and a prime minister.  Additionally, this structure should adhere to the constitutional requirement that a minimum of 30 percent of decision-making positions be held by women.

The Eminent Persons Group was urged to continue to use CARICOM’s Good Offices to work with all stakeholders to find a definitive solution to the crisis.

The Eminent Persons Group committed to go to Haiti to continue these consultations within the next several weeks. 

CARICOM reiterated its commitment to provide support for the elections including assessment of preparations for and observation of the elections.

Participants thanked CARICOM for initiating this meeting. They also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and People of Jamaica for their warm hospitality and committed to continuing the dialogue as the CARICOM Good Offices process progresses.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 13 juin 2023

Haiti : Flooding leaves at least 42 people dead and thousands displaced

The town of Leogane, 40 kilometers southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, was particularly badly hit by the heavy rains over the weekend.

At least 42 people were dead and 11 missing in Haiti after heavy rains at the weekend triggered flooding and landslides, civil protection officials said Monday, June 5. The bad weather hit seven of the 10 departments in the country which is already plunged into a protracted humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence, political collapse and economic stagnation. According to the UN, the severe rains affected 37,000 people and displaced 13,400.

The town of Leogane, located 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, was particularly badly hit, with damage caused by three flooded rivers. At least 20 people died there, according to Haitian officials.

"The residents are desperate. They have lost everything. The waters have ravaged their fields, washed away their livestock," Leogane Mayor Ernson Henry told AFP. Thousands of families were affected in the town, he said, stressing that the population urgently needed food, drinking water and medicine.

The floods caused extensive material damage across the country, destroying hundreds of homes and damaging several roads. "Although it is not a hurricane or a tropical storm, the damage observed in the affected areas is considerable," said Jean-Martin Bauer, UN coordinator of humanitarian action in Haiti.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry activated the National Emergency Operation Center in response. The heavy toll highlights the country's vulnerability to natural disasters and its failure to mitigate storm risk just as the hurricane season is about to begin.

Even before the floods, nearly half of Haiti's population was in need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that has doubled in just five years, according to the UN.

Read more  UN calls for international troop deployment in Haiti

Le Monde with AFP

Regional stakeholders begin talks on bringing stability to Haiti

Over the next three days, Jamaica will host a high-level meeting of specially invited leaders and stakeholders, as the Caribbean region seeks to find solutions to the ongoing crisis in Haiti. 

Jamaica’s role in the process has been welcomed by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who has been a long-standing supporter of that country’s efforts towards attaining peace, stability and good governance.

“I hope it will begin to pave the way to address the gang crisis; and put in place arrangements for the people to choose, within an acceptable period, a government with the legitimacy and authority to rebuild the most populous Caribbean and oldest sovereign nation,” Patterson told The Sunday Gleaner.

“The eminent team deserves our fullest support in the task of providing human resource capacity and the entire field of institution creation.”

Prime Minister Andrew Holness had signalled to the nation earlier this year that Jamaica was willing to lend support to any effort to bring stability to the country that has been ravaged by years of political, economic and social unrest, with gang violence now overrunning the streets.

Today’s Haitian stakeholder consultations follows Thursday’s meeting with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government and United States Vice President Kamala Harris in The Bahamas, where discussions were held on a number of issues impacting the region. The US has pledged US$100 million towards various efforts in the region.

From June 11-13, Jamaica will provide the venue for the consultations, as well as arrangements to facilitate the attendees, who were invited by Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis, chair of CARICOM.

These include representatives from Haiti; the Eminent Persons Group, which was established by CARICOM to oversee the community’s provision of Good Offices to the Government of Haiti and Haitian stakeholders; the prime ministers of The Bahamas and Haiti; the CARICOM Secretary General and representatives from international partners and donor support. 

The talks will be led by the Eminent Persons Group, which consists of former Prime Minister of The Bahamas Perry Christie; former Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding; and former Prime Minister of St Lucia Dr Kenny D. Anthony.

“Prime Minister Davis and I will officially hand over the process to the Eminent Persons Group at the opening event. However, I must underscore and emphasise that notwithstanding any representation from states regionally, the consultations themselves will only involve the Haitian stakeholders, supported by the Eminent Persons Group with their requisite technical personnel,” Holness said.

The group will update CARICOM.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has been outspoken about the crisis in Haiti, disheartened that is has come to this, given the country’s proud heritage.

In response to Holness’ announcement, Golding welcomed the meeting, noting that the solutions should be fashioned by Haitians. He said any attempts to impose extra-territorial solutions from within or external to the region would be the wrong approach. Haitians should be the ones charting the course for their future, he said.

He also noted that “given the proximity of Jamaica to the shores of Haiti … it is clearly in Jamaica’s interest for Haiti to be restored to a functional democratic system of government, and that security within Haiti and of its borders be put on a footing where criminal elements – organised and disorganised – do not hold sway.”

NEED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY

Prime Minister Holness has stressed the need for confidentiality during the consultation process.

“It is important that the need for confidence, confidentiality and patience be respected as this necessary but delicate process of consultation is engaged. I urge, therefore, that we allow this to be the basis on which the consultations are held and trust that the relevant information will be made available at the appropriate time,” Holness said.

He said while Jamaica and others in the region have a keen interest, it was incumbent on all to adopt a posture of non-interference in the process, while being active in support and allowing the space for the dialogue to be held.

“These consultations are intended to build consensus and allow for inclusive participation in a neutral environment. Most importantly, a majority of Haitian stakeholders have agreed to this approach in support of finding peace and stability in their country,” he said.

Over the years, Jamaica has come to Haiti’s aid during several crises. During Patterson’s tenure as prime minister, Jamaica was home to Haiti’s former president Jean Bertrand Aristide, who was eventually deposed in a coup d’étatand carted off to the Central African Republic by the United States, who was part of a peacekeeping mission there. Years before, Aristide had fled to Jamaica after an attempted coup.

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CARICOM MEETING ON HAITI /

June 11-13

Mr. Philip Brave DAVIS

President

Conference of Heads of Government

CARICOM

Mr. President of the Conference,

5- CARICOM MEETING FROM JUNE 11 TO 13 ON HAITI : WHAT AGENDA ?

Is this summit going towards supporting Haitian-led solutions? A few days before the summit, this agenda of discussion is not yet finalized and made public. What can we expect ? 

Honorable organizers,

In our opinion, if you want to show respect for the Haitian people in general and for the stakeholders concerned in particular; and if you want to organize a serious summit on the current Haitian crisis and bring a definite contribution towards a Haitian solution to the Haitian crisis, you should revise your strategy, you should revise the usual ineffective and wasteful methodology used at previous summits.

We keep hoping that CARICOM will not become an accomplice of the former colonial powers, slaveholders and racists which are today imperialist powers who cynically maintain the current crisis, oppress the Haitian people; and we hope that CARICOM will not be their sounding board. Otherwise, all inter-Caribbean summits on Haiti risk becoming a kind of special sessions of the Core Group, or their CARICOM versions.

We wish, in fact, the organization by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of a summit which will be the opportunity to pose the real problems that are making this crisis last and to find together expected solutions with the effective participation of Haitian stakeholders. We propose, in this sense, that the following points be included on the agenda of the summit:

1) Haiti: Recovery of national sovereignty to put an end to the interference of the imperialist powers;

2) Need to put an end to indecent international support, particularly from the USA, Canada and France, to the criminal PHTK government of Ariel Henry and the establishment of a credible transitional government;

3) Urgency of solidarity support from CARICOM vis-à-vis Haiti for the effective application of the Resolution 2653 (2022) adopted by the Security Council on October 21, 2022;

4) Establishment of an Independent Commission of Inquiry to assess these eighteen years of the United Nations presence to update its responsibilities and its direct link with the causes that have led to the current chaotic situation;

5) Support from the Caribbean Court of Justice to obtain compensation and reparations for Haiti and in particular the families of the thirty thousand dead and the eight hundred thousand (800,000.00) infected with cholera brought by MINUSTAH soldiers;

6) CARICOM position statement for concrete support to Haiti with a view to non-military international intervention;

7) In the perspective of credible elections, the CARICOM recommendations for the suspension by the United States of armed gang supply, parallel to the rapid recovery of weapons already introduced ;

8) Warning against the ten (10) year development plan for Haiti of the United States Department of State;

9) Solidarity with Haiti for the recovery of the Haitian island of La Navase and the claim of compensation;

10) Need for strong CARICOM support for restitution and redress for wrongs and the grave injustices suffered by Haiti throughout history, including the historic debt of slavery, theft of its resources, the scandalous ransom of independence, the sequestration of its gold reserves by the United States of America;

11) Commitment of CARICOM in the process of total decolonization of the Caribbean space;

12) Vote on a CARICOM resolution requesting the granting of another decade of Afro-descendants - 2024-2033, on behalf of Haiti. It is worthy to note that Haiti, the first to break the chains of slavery and, for this, considered by the poet Victor Hugo and many others as being a light^[1], was relegated to the last rank within the framework of the celebration of this International Decade for People of African Descent when the UN should have given to it a place of honor.

Mr. President of the Conference of Heads of Government,

Any summit on the Haitian crisis that ignores these major concerns of the Haitian people will pass by. That is why if you want to stay away from foreseeable failure and if as a Caribbean community of brother countries, CARICOM really wants to offer a certain contribution to the resolution of this multidimensional and complex crisis, it will be necessary to build, in collaboration with Haitian stakeholders, the agenda for discussion. This is an agenda integrating the fundamental concerns of the Haitian people. It also matters to encourage all the Haitian stakeholders concerned to agree in advance on the format of the meeting, and to establish together with them the list of possible international stakeholders to be invited and postpone for at least two weeks this summit scheduled for June 11 to 13 of this year, in order to ensure its full success.

Condemned to support each other in the fight for a united and totally decolonized Caribbean, we ask you to receive, Mr. President of the Conference, our Caribbean and brotherly greetings.

Josué MERILIEN

General Coordinator of Union Nationale des Normaliens/nes d’Haïti (UNNOH) and

Member of the Executive Board of KONBIT des Organisations SyndicalesUS Vice President

^[1] https://revue.alarmer.org/tenebres-de-lesclavage-lumieres-de-la-revolte-une-lettre-de-victor-hugo-a-exilien-heurtelou-1860/

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 9 mai 2023

 Jailed high school student faces 19 charges over school shooting threat

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – A Broward County Public Schools student was at the North Broward Bureau on Saturday afternoon in Pompano Beach facing 19 criminal charges over an alleged school shooting threat.

Police officers arrested Catrina Petit, 18, on Friday after detectives accused her of using another’s student’s identity to sign on to a school computer to commit the crime.

“I may do it during the day or after the school day or in between classes. All I know is everyone must DIE,” Petit wrote in the message, according to the Coral Springs Police Department.

Petit, a student at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, warned that there was going to be a tragedy on Friday morning at a school, according to detectives.

The threatening message quickly went viral on social media. Since it wasn’t specific about the location, it caused false alarms at different schools in South Florida.

Records show Petit, who lives in Tamarac, was facing three counts of written threats, a second-degree felony; false report, a second-degree felony; and 15 counts of knowingly disrupting or interfering with the lawful administration or functions of an educational institution, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Nadine Drew, a spokeswoman for BCPS, released a statement on Friday warning that making a school threat is a second-degree felony, and also carries school disciplinary consequences, such as expulsion.

Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Morning report

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Joyce Grace Ortega contributed to this report.

US seeks Brazil help as frustration grows on Haiti force

06/05/2023

In the latest effort, a senior US envoy sought forward movement on Haiti on a visit to Brazil, which spearheaded a previous UN-led mission in Haiti and sits on the Security Council.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said she came away with the view that the Brazilians under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva "care about Haiti."

"They want to see something done, and they committed to working with us in the Security Council to find a path forward," Thomas-Greenfield told AFP on her plane back from Brasilia.

"We're making some progress but we're all frustrated that we have not been able to make more progress more quickly," she said.

Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, has been torn apart by intersecting security, political and health crises with armed gangs controlling most of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, told the Security Council on Wednesday that Haiti was "dangling over an abyss."

Initial efforts led by the United States aimed for another nation to lead an operation to restore basic security and government functions and pave the way for a political transition.

With no country stepping forward, diplomats said that other options on the table now include establishing a conventional peacekeeping operation with contributions around the world.

The United States, long a key power in Haiti with major interventions in the early 20th century and the 1990s, has focused on sanctions and funding the fledging national police.

President Joe Biden, who ended the US war in Afghanistan, has made clear he will not put Americans at risk, although his administration has promised support if another country takes the lead.

Canada was seen as the leading contender but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau too has appeared to conclude that an operation would be too risky.

Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN special representative for Haiti, said she still hoped a single country could come forward or that the CARICOM community of Caribbean nations could take the lead.

But she said it was also time for the United Nations to start "to be innovative" and "find other ways of providing this force."

Brazil has historically sought a UN lead. Any Security Council effort would need to bring onboard veto-wielding China, which resents that Haiti is one of the dwindling number of countries that recognizes rival Taiwan.

'No one wants to do it'

"It's pretty simple. No one wants to do it. There's just no country that right now feels either a responsibility or a compulsion to do this," said Keith Mines, director of the Latin America program at the US Institute for Peace.

He said that Haiti was not without hope. On December 21, a coalition of political leaders, civil society and business figures signed on to a plan for a transitional government that would culminate in elections by the end of 2023.

"But there's this chicken-and-egg problem because it's difficult to see how a political process can go anywhere as long as there's this collapse of security," he said.

Some US officials are pessimistic.

Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, voiced pessimism on Haiti during testimony to Congress on Thursday, saying, "It does not look as if it is going to get better anytime soon."

Prime Minister Ariel Henry pleaded for intervention in October. But he has also faced questions over his legitimacy with no elections in Haiti since 2016 and the last winner, president Jovenel Moise, assassinated in 2021.

In an open letter to Biden after Henry's appeal, a coalition of Haitian civil society groups and left-leaning supporters opposed military intervention which they warned would "only perpetuate and strengthen Henry's grasp on power, while doing little to ameliorate the root causes of today's crisis."

A previous UN peacekeeping force was marred after it introduced deadly cholera to Haiti and a UN probe found credible accounts of sexual abuse of children by Sri Lankan troops.

But Mines called the narrative of "constant catastrophe" in Haiti operations misguided, saying that Brazilian, Canadian and Chilean forces had been effective on the ground.

"We're riding this wave of anti-nation building right now which I think is very unfortunate," he said.

"There are tools that are going to go unused as nations like Haiti just collapse."

© 2023 AFP

May 3, 2023 

                                                                                                                        No. 2023/10

U.S. Embassy Celebrates World Press Freedom Day with Newly Trained Journalists from Voice of American Program

As a prelude to the celebration of World Press Freedom Day (May 3), the United States Embassy welcomed 24 journalists to its premises in Tabarre on Friday, April 28, 2023. 

These journalists recently participated in a two-part training program sponsored by the Public Affairs Section in conjunction with the Creole Service of the Voice of America.  The first training, “How to Investigate and Dive Deeper into Headlines” was held from August 13 to 21, 2022, while the second training, “Media Management” was held from February 25 to March 4, 2023.

In his remarks on the occasion, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in Haiti, Mr. Eric W. Stromayer, stressed the importance of a free press to keep citizens informed and to hold governments accountable. 

According to Mr. Stromayer, “Bad actors seek to mislead the public for their personal gain.  They incite discontent, mistrust, and even violence. The best and only vaccine against their poison is accurate, unbiased journalism.”  

In a discussion with Press Attaché of the Embassy, Ms. Kathryn Edwards, the journalists gave a brief account of what they learned during their recent training in Washington, sponsored by the United States Embassy, and the prospects this opportunity offers them in their careers in the media.

The Minister of Culture and Communication Emmelie Prophet Milcé said during her speech that journalists can freely exercise their profession in Haiti. However, she recognizes that the press in Haiti faces certain constraints, particularly economic ones, due to the multiplicity of media. The Minister Prophet-Milcé took the opportunity to thank the U.S. Embassy in Haiti for having organized this session for journalists. These trainings have the merit of allowing journalists to have a different perspective of the profession, of its nobility and above all reminds the Press of its responsibility to publish credible content.

Mr. Jean Jul Desauguste, journalist at Radio Télé Métropole, said that, "Thanks to these extraordinary discussion sessions with experienced journalists from the American press such as: Mister Teen, Sandra Dominique, Jacquelin Bélizaire, Jean Michel Mathurin, Ethan Bruce, Fred Cayimite, Chris Andino, Tom Detzel, who have developed the most recurring and current journalistic topics, we have learned that press workers always need to return to the basic principles of the profession to do their job better and participate in construction and development of their country.

Ms. Peguy Bartoli, Deputy Administrator at Radio Television 2000, thanked the Office of Public Affairs for allowing participants to broaden their horizons and perfect their knowledge of the Media Management plan in Haiti in order to better achieve their work ". “The VOA training funded by the U.S. Embassy has been a success for all of us, it opens doors for us professionally since we were previously unaware of certain concepts,” she says.The U.S. Embassy especially salutes the courage of all those journalists, bloggers, and citizens who sacrificed their lives, well-being, or freedom so that others might know the truth.  And we honor the role of free and independent media in building enduring democracies and open, healthy societies.  

Note that this 30th World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated this year around the theme “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights,” a theme that puts the emphasis on the relationship between the press and democracy.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 15 mai 2024

Welcome to Port-à-l’Ecu International Airport, Northwest, Haiti

Regional chamber and civil society organization lead international airport construction

HAITIAN TIMES

by Guest Author May. 09, 2024

Overview:

The Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Northwest Department, in collaboration with civil society organizations, is taking the lead in initiating the construction of an international airport. These entities want to play a proactive role in driving significant infrastructure projects that can have a transformative impact on regional economies.

By Kervenson Martial
Haitian Times Contributor

PORT-DE-PAIX, Haiti — Traveling 19 miles west of Port-de-Paix, the primary city of Haiti’s Northwest department and about 135 miles of Port-au-Prince—-the capital, along the dusty paths of Routes 151/52, leads you to +Haiti/@19.9037023,-73.0987615,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8eb66a5e65fc5dad:0x2b32e827a83d89ce!2m2!1d-73.0357313!2d19.9078761!1m5!1m1!1s0x8eb66694203c0919:0xd5a3cf67a8391d86!2m2!1d-72.8308692!2d19.9348887!3e0?entry=ttu">Port-à-L’Écu in just over an hour by car or motorcycle. As you near this serene and scenic coastal area, the soothing sounds of beach waves blend with the hum of heavy machinery from a construction site – the birthplace of an upcoming international airport.

Launched in early February by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with a consortium of Northwest civil society organizations, this project aims to stimulate tourism and ease travel for the Haitian diaspora. It particularly targets thousands hailing from the region.

For example, Florida, which is home to many Haitians from the Northwest, is approximately 600 miles away from Port-à-l’Ecu by airplane.

“It is necessary and urgent for the Northwest Department to have an international airport,” said Jordan Hérard Verdule, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Northwest (CCINW). “The work started thanks to the meager means that the CCINW has at the moment,” he added. 

The project initiators aim to secure ample funding for the airport’s construction, relying on the support from the Haitian government, the Diaspora, and foreign financial partners like the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), which is currently offering expert advice.

The total cost for building an airport with the necessary, reliable infrastructure remains uncertain at this stage. Jean Énold Télémaque, an engineer from TPTC, explains, “There is no definite budget for the ongoing work. We’re operating on a step-by-step plan.”

Wisly Lorfils, the secretary of the CCIDW and a member of the construction committee, further clarifies the situation to the Haitian Times: “We can’t determine the total cost of the project yet. We’re waiting for the expert’s report to accurately provide cost estimates to the public.”

The initial costs for preliminary activities are projected to be around 20 million gourdes, approximately $15,000, according to Lorfils.

“We initiated the construction with the resources we had available, compelling the Haitian government to fulfill its responsibilities,” Lorfils added. “It’s incumbent upon the State of Haiti to finance this project. It’s not a handout but an investment. The citizens of the Northwest Department, who pay taxes just like everyone else, deserve an international airport.”

The timeline for the project’s completion remains unannounced. “Our primary aim is to finish the first phase of the project, which includes cleaning and constructing the runway to start accommodating local Sunrise Airways flights by the end of May,” explained Guy Marcénard, a member of the civil society group.

Port-à-l’Ecu deemed safer, won the project bid over other areas in Northwest

Before the construction began, the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC) and the National Airport Authority (AAN)  directed the Public Works, Transport and Communications Ministry’s departmental division (TPTC) to dispatch technicians and topographers to the region. Their task was to evaluate the site and analyze all potential risks associated with building an international airport.

Following the study, it was determined that only Port-à-l’Ecu—located between the communes of Port-de-Paix and Jean-Rabel—satisfied 90% of the criteria for constructing an international airport that is 300m wide and 1600m long.

View of the space designed to build the airport runway. Port-à-l’Ecu, February 3, 2024. Photo by Kervenson Martial

According to specialists from OFNAC and AAN, studies conducted on various other locations within the Northwest Department revealed too many risks to accommodate an international airport. Despite their popularity, these locations failed to meet the majority of the standards required.

While small local planes usually land at two prominent specific sites evaluated – the circuits of Môle Saint- Nicolas and Port-de-Paix – these sites however were deemed unsuitable for constructing an international airport. High-risk factors, such as strong winds notably from the Windward Passage of the Atlantic Ocean that could cause an aircraft to crash at any time, were cited by the experts.

Construction began on February 3 after receiving the go-ahead. Several current and former government officials, entrepreneurs, and leaders of civil society organizations attended the event. Among the attendees were the TPTC’s director in the Northwest, Joseph Angelot Oracius, and Enex Jean-Charles, a former prime minister under Jocelerme Privert’s administration.

Port-à-l’Ecu has an aviation history

According to Andalasse Mertilus, a Haitian history and geography teacher who spoke with online reporter Stiven Michel during a Facebook live conversation, Port-à-l’Ecu has a history of accommodating flights. This began during the American occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934. However, the location was temporarily closed in 1946 under Elie Lescot’s government. It was indefinitely abandoned as an aviation space in 1957 by the order of former dictator Francois Duvalier for political reasons.

“Leslie wanted all major activities to be concentrated in Port-au-Prince, the capital city,” Mertilus explained. “Duvalier, on the other hand, saw a provincial airport as a threat to his power, as he was battling political adversaries, labeled as Camoquin.”

Northwesterners embrace the international airport construction project

Residents of the Northwest Department, especially those in Port-à-l’Ecu, are excited about the potential of having an international airport in their region. Both locals and members of the Diaspora believe that the construction should proceed without interruption, as the aviation industry could create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth in the area.

Known for its beautiful beaches, the region has the potential to attract local, national and international tourists. Wilfrid Mertilus, a local resident, expressed his long-standing desire for the project, saying, “Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed of seeing economic development and tourism thrive in Port-à-l’Écu. I hope all Haitian politicians will unite in support of this project.”

Bénoît Antoine, who left Haiti 29 years ago and has not returned since, shared his thoughts. “If this international airport is built in the Northwest, I would be delighted to visit my friends and family and bring many American friends to see the country,” he said. “It’s crucial for all of us [northwesterners] in the Diaspora to contribute to making this project a reality.”

Port-à-l’Écu, also known as Baie de Port-à-l’Écu or New Kiskeya, is considered a free zone. The idea to transform the area into a free zone to promote economic and social growth was proposed in 2006 by Robert Illusse, a well-known Haitian pastor and community leader. However, a project to build a tourist complex there was halted during the administration of former President René Garcia Préval.

A view of Port-à-l’Ecu Bay, February 13, 2024. Photo by Kervenson Martial

During a 2012 visit, former President Joseph Michel Martelly expressed his support for reviving the construction of the New Kiskeya touristic complex. He believed this project would enhance tourism and attract thousands of visitors to the region. In addition, he advocated for the construction of an international airport in the Northwest, a port and a wharf at Baie des Moustiques, a bay near Port-à-l’Ecu, and improvements to the 32.5-mile road section between Port-de-Paix and Jean Rabel.

The Northwest Department, one of Haiti’s ten departments, is rich in touristic potential. Many communities boast seas and beautiful beaches, such as “Reziyen” in Môle-Saint-Nicolas, La Basse Terre and Pointe West on Tortuga Island, La Plate Forme, “Gayak” and “Tilans” in Bombardopolis, and Energy Beach and Maigotte Beach in Saint Louis du Nord. Additionally, the Grotte “Twou Bon Dye” and “Twou Dyab” in Croix Saint Joseph, located about four miles from the Port-de-Paix seaport, are notable attractions. 

From Haitian Times

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (May 12, 2024)     

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 Jn 4:11-16; Jn 17:11b-19

This Sunday falls between two major events in Jesus’ life, the Ascension and Pentecost. The Ascension was celebrated this past Thursday. It marked the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry and the enthronization of his glorified Human Body at the right hand of the Father. The Church is born. Jesus solemnly entrusts to the Apostles the continuation of His Mission. They are officially sent to Teach and Baptize. They are summoned to always preserve an unbroken unity... so that the world may believe.

Ten days after the Ascension, another stupendous event took place: Pentecost: the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles gathered in prayer with Mary the mother of Jesus. The task of continuing the very mission of Jesus is beyond mere human capacity. The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of the Father and the Son is given to the nascent Church. Through that gift from above, the Church is endowed with divine power to accomplish its Mission. The Spirit is the soul of the Church, her indispensable Gift. Without the Spirit of Love and Unity, the Mission is impossible.

As we celebrate these two Feasts we forcefully realize that:

1.     A Mission is entrusted to the Church to act with the authority and power of Jesus.

2.     The crucial importance of Love and Unity to achieve the goal of Saving Mankind.

These two feast Days come as two blooming flowers stemming out of Easter. Jesus rose from the dead, returns to His Father, and involves those who believe in Him to form One Body and act as distributors of his treasures to all mankind. May we pray that we will always preserve that Gift from Above, the Holy Spirit of love and Unity without which the Mission is jeopardized!

Today more than ever let us pray with extreme fervor for a New Pentecost on all Christians. Let all realize that without Love and Unity, we betray our God-given Mission!

Implications of President Ruto's US Visit on Kenya's-Led MSS Deployment in Haiti 

By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson  

Introduction

President William Ruto's upcoming state visit to the United States, although no longer featuring a joint session of Congress, remains a crucial diplomatic engagement with significant implications for international security, particularly regarding Kenya's Multinational Security Support (MSS) deployment in Haiti. The focused meetings with US leadership, including a one-on-one with House Speaker Mike Johnson, provide a valuable opportunity to discuss and solidify support for Kenya’s role in Haiti [1,2].

Strategic Bilateral Security Discussions

Without the broad platform of a Congressional address, President Ruto's engagements will likely delve into specific security and defense cooperation matters. These discussions are critical, especially considering Kenya's commitment to leading the MSS deployment in Haiti, a venture that requires substantial logistical, financial, and strategic backing from the United States. The meetings with US officials will be key to securing the necessary support and coordination.

Enhancing US Support for the MSS Deployment

The intimate setting of the meetings with US political leaders allows for a deeper conversation on the specifics of the MSS deployment. President Ruto can directly articulate Kenya’s needs and expectations and negotiate for enhanced logistical, intelligence, and financial support from the US. This support is essential for the success of the mission in Haiti, aiming to stabilize a nation grappling with multidimensional political turmoil and security challenges.

Potential Outcomes of Enhanced Cooperation

A successful negotiation during President Ruto’s visit could lead to increased US assistance for the MSS mission, possibly including access to advanced surveillance technologies, training for Kenyan forces, and direct financial aid to cover operational costs. Such support not only bolsters the mission's effectiveness but also enhances Kenya's capability to lead complex international security operations.

Broader Implications for Regional Stability

Strengthening Kenya’s role in international peacekeeping, supported by US resources, has broader implications for regional stability and security. Effective leadership in the Haiti MSS deployment could serve as a model for future peacekeeping missions, reinforcing Kenya's status as a key security partner in international affairs. Additionally, it could lead to further opportunities for collaboration between Kenya and the US in other regions facing similar challenges.

Conclusion

President Ruto’s state visit to the United States, characterized by focused bilateral meetings, holds profound implications for the MSS deployment in Haiti. These discussions are pivotal for securing the necessary backing and cooperation from the US, which is essential for the mission's success. By strengthening Kenya’s international security role and deepening US-Kenya ties, this visit could significantly impact Haiti's path to stability and showcase Kenya’s growing influence on the global stage.