Latest news with #LaurentSaint-Cyr
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Haiti declares a 3-month state of emergency as gangs ravage country's central region
Newly-appointed police chief Vladimir Paraison, left, salutes Transitional Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr, during his presentation ceremony as the new interim police chief, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Haiti's government announced Saturday that it is implementing a three-month state of emergency in the country's central region as gang violence surges. The measure will cover Haiti's West, Artibonite and Center departments 'to continue the fight against insecurity and respond to the agricultural and food crisis,' according to a government statement. The region — known as Haiti's rice basket — has been under attack in recent years, with gangs killing farmers or forcing them to abandon their fields as they raze nearby communities. The United Nations' human rights office noted that from October 2024 to the end of June 2025, more than 1,000 people have been killed, more than 200 injured and 620 kidnapped in the Artibonite and Central departments and nearby areas. Gang violence also has displaced more than 239,000 people in Haiti's central region, according to the U.N. In late April, dozens of people waded and swam across the country's largest river in a desperate attempt to flee gangs. On Friday, the government appointed a new interim director general to oversee Haiti's National Police, which is working with Kenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence. André Jonas Vladimir Paraison replaces former police director general Normil Rameau, who was criticized for his struggle to contain violence perpetrated by gangs that control up to 90% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Rameau had repeatedly warned about the department's severe underfunding. Paraison previously served as head of security of Haiti's National Palace, and he was on duty as a police officer when former President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021. The changes come as Laurent Saint-Cyr, a wealthy businessman, takes over as president of Haiti's transitional presidential council, which is charged with holding elections by February 2026. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A new leadership is appointed in Haiti as gangs threaten to overthrow the government
A new leadership is appointed in Haiti as gangs threaten to overthrow the government PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A wealthy businessman on Thursday became the head of Haiti's transitional presidential council tasked with restoring order in the troubled country as a top gang leader underscored the challenges facing the nation by vowing to overthrow the government. Laurent Saint-Cyr's appointment at the council's heavily guarded office in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs control 90% of the neighborhoods, marked the first time that members of Haiti's private sector serve in both the rotating presidency and the post of prime minister, two positions that share the country's executive duties. Saint-Cyr had his start at a local insurance company while Haiti's current prime minister once ran an internet firm. 'Our country is going through one of the greatest crises in all its history,' Saint-Cyr said as he was sworn in. 'It's not the time for beautiful speeches. It's time to act.' Gang leader issues a warning Hours earlier, a powerful gang federation that has long denounced Haiti's oligarchs threatened to overthrow the government, and gunfire erupted in parts of the capital. In a video posted on social media, Viv Ansanm gang leader Jimmy Chérizier — better known as 'Barbecue' — warns residents to give his armed group free passage through neighborhoods to reach the council's office. 'People of Haiti, take care of yourselves and help us … in the battle to free the country," Chérizier says, wearing a bulletproof vest and with an automatic rifle slung around his shoulder. A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police said in a statement that officers thwarted potential attacks by around-the-clock patrols and by boosting the number of armed forces in certain neighborhoods and around critical infrastructure. 'Armed gangs had plotted to disrupt national stability and render the country ungovernable,' it said. A call for order Saint-Cyr thanked all national and international actors who have helped Haiti, as well as the private sector, which he called the engine of the country's economy. He noted that while he's from the private sector, he would serve all people equally. Saint-Cyr previously served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti and of the country's Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He'll be working with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, a one-time president of an internet company in Haiti and also a former president of the country's Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Saint-Cyr said security was a priority. He called on the armed forces to intensify their operations and on international partners to send more soldiers, offer more training and help boost a mission lacking resources and personnel. 'We must restore state authority,' he said. 'The challenges we face are certainly linked to insecurity, but they also are the result of our lack of courage, a lack of vision and our irresponsibility.' He questioned what was preventing the government from offering services Haitians deserve, including health and education. 'Mister prime minister, assume your responsibilities!' he said. Meanwhile, 58 organizations from countries that include the United States in a letter to Saint-Cyr accused the council of violating its legal obligations to Haiti's women and girls. 'Collective rape is endemic,' they said, noting that sexual violence has surged as gangs persist in their rampage. The organizations also accused Haiti's government of being 'completely absent' at shelters where rape survivors need basic services. A growing number of people have grumbled about Haiti's private sector leading the country. Some of Haiti's wealthy elites and powerful politicians have long been accused of financing and arming dozens of gangs. 'The elites have always wanted power, and they have always wanted to control Haiti, and now they're in control,' said Marline Jean-Pierre, a 44-year-old teacher who braved gunfire to visit a friend at a hospital in downtown Port-au-Prince. She said she has lost hope that things will change, accusing former council presidents of making promises they didn't keep. 'Nothing really happened,' she said. 'Young women are being raped, families are being dismantled.' However, dozens of Haitians wearing white T-shirts and clutching signs emblazoned with Saint-Cyr's photograph gathered outside the council's office to support him. Skirmishes broke out hours later between supporters and those who opposed Saint-Cyr. 'Even though he's a mulatto with good hair, he's Haitian,' one supporter said of Saint-Cyr, who is part of the country's small and powerful lighter-skinned elite — as is Fils-Aimé. 'Remain on guard!' As the country prepared for Saint-Cyr's swearing-in ceremony, Haitians posted a flurry of warnings about violence in hopes that people could remain safe. 'Those of you in the capital, you will hear gunshots both ahead of you and behind you. Remain on guard!' one message stated. Tripotay Lakay, a local news site, reported that one person was killed and another injured while driving into Port-au-Prince on Thursday, though it was unclear how that happened. A video posted on social media shows a woman's body slumped in the car. Heavy gunfire around downtown Port-au-Prince persisted on Tuesday afternoon, with local media reporting that several people were wounded. Small explosions from police-manned drones also were heard. Violence also was reported in Kenscoff, a once peaceful farming area above the hills of Port-au-Prince. The U.N.-backed mission said it lost two armored vehicles after they became trapped in trenches dug out by gangs. It said Kenyan policemen came under an attack with Molotov cocktails but 'courageously held their ground, inflicting significant damage on the assailants." Three officers received minor injuries. Videos posted on social media show suspected gang members laughing and cheering as they surrounded one of the armored vehicles that was later set on fire. 'Come get it back if you can!' one gunman is heard jeering. A plea for more officers In a report released Thursday, the U.N.-backed mission noted that it has 991 personnel, far less than the 2,500 envisioned, and some $112 million in its trust fund — about 14% of the estimated $800 million needed a year. The mission said it has no air support for operations and that only 200 officers can be deployed at a time because of insufficient equipment, including vehicles. The mission also noted that the government remains fragile: 'Partisan infighting within the transitional government has had the effect of paralyzing the government and emboldening the gangs." Gangs in Kenscoff recently kidnapped eight people from an orphanage, including an Irish missionary and a 3-year-old child. They remain missing. Violence surged in the aftermath of the July 2021 killing of President Jovenel Moïse, and ongoing violence has displaced more than 1.3 million people in recent years. At least 1,520 people were killed and more than 600 injured from April to the end of June across Haiti. More than 60% of the killings and injuries occurred during operations by security forces against gangs, with another 12% blamed on self-defense groups, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Evens Sanon And Dánica Coto, The Associated Press
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Laurent Saint-Cyr takes over Haiti presidency as gangs threaten transition
Haitian businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr took over his country's leadership on Thursday, the last phase of its transition before it is mandated to hand power to a democratically elected successor, but a top gang leader threatened to topple the precarious government. Saint-Cyr was inaugurated at a ceremony at the capital's Villa d'Acceuil, the temporary seat of power after downtown Port-au-Prince became too insecure. He called on foreign allies to do more to help local security forces that have struggled to prevent heavily armed gangs gaining power and territory. 'I invite all international partners to increase their support, send more soldiers, provide more training,' Saint-Cyr said at the ceremony. 'I am asking the security forces to intensify their operations.' A UN-backed security force led by Kenyan police was deployed to Haiti a year ago but it has struggled with a lack of personnel and resources. The council said it has recently contracted a private military company to assist. Bursts of gunfire were heard in parts of the capital on Thursday morning as Jimmy 'Barbeque' Cherizier, who leads the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs that controls most of the capital, threatened to disrupt the transition.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Haiti businessman takes presidency amid gang threats
PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haitian businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr took over his country's leadership on Thursday, the last phase of its transition before it is mandated to hand power to a democratically elected successor, but a top gang leader threatened to topple the precarious government. Saint-Cyr was inaugurated at a ceremony at the capital's Villa d'Acceuil, the temporary seat of power after downtown Port-au-Prince became too insecure. He called on foreign allies to do more to help local security forces that have struggled to prevent heavily armed gangs from gaining power and territory. 'I invite all international partners to increase their support, send more soldiers, provide more training,' Saint-Cyr said at the ceremony. 'I am asking the security forces to intensify their operations.' A U.N.-backed security force led by Kenyan police deployed to Haiti a year ago but it has struggled with a lack of personnel and resources. The council has said it has recently contracted a private military company to assist. Bursts of gunfire were heard in parts of the capital on Thursday morning, as Jimmy 'Barbeque' Cherizier, who leads the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs that now controls most of the capital, threatened to disrupt the transition. 'We have decided to march on the Premier's office and the Villa d'Accueil to end it all,' Cherizier said in a video shared on social media. The inauguration ceremony ended without disruption, however. In the nearby suburb of Petion-Ville, one of the last pockets of the capital still largely outside gang control, residents marched towards the Villa d'Acceuil in white shirts carrying printed signs in support of Saint-Cyr. The U.N.-backed force said it had thwarted plots to 'disrupt national stability and render the country ungovernable' in the early hours of Thursday. Three of its officers were briefly hospitalized after two patrolling armed vehicles came under attack by Molotov cocktails and were set ablaze, it said. MONEY, RACE AND POWER Saint-Cyr, who sat on a prior transition council during the premiership of Ariel Henry, took over from former central bank chief Fritz Alphonse Jean, marking a shift to the right for the unpopular nine-member council. Saint-Cyr represents Haiti's private sector on the council, which consists of leaders from different society groups. Prime Minister Alix-Didier Fils-Aime is also from Haiti's business class. Both he and Saint-Cyr are mixed-race, and some Haitians have raised concerns of power concentrating in the hands of the former French colony's wealthy, lighter-skinned economic elite. The council, which took power in April last year through a deal brokered by Washington and Caribbean leaders with Haiti's warring political factions, has been criticized by police and protesters for failing to seriously address the security crisis. Three of its members were accused last year of corruption but remained in their posts. They denied wrongdoing. Saint-Cyr's term runs until February 7, 2026, when the council's mandate is set to end and a newly elected president be inaugurated, although it is unclear if elections called for November will be able to take place. Political analysts have warned that rushed elections could further empower the armed gangs and Viv Ansanm has already announced itself as a political party. Viv Ansanm (Living Together) has been accused by rights groups of widespread human rights abuses including mass killings, rapes, extortion, ransom kidnappings, and drug and organ trafficking. Washington has designated it a terrorist organization. More than 1.3 million Haitians are internally displaced and many are living in makeshift camps. The conflict has pushed thousands into famine-level hunger and more than 3,100 people were killed in the first six months of this year alone. Alongside Gaza and South Sudan, Haiti is among the U.N. food agency's hotspots of highest concern. - Reuters
NBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
A new leadership is appointed in Haiti as gangs threaten to overthrow the government
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A wealthy businessman on Thursday became the head of Haiti's transitional presidential council tasked with restoring order in the troubled country as a top gang leader underscored the challenges facing the nation by vowing to overthrow the government. Laurent Saint-Cyr's appointment at the council's heavily guarded office in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs control 90% of the neighborhoods, marked the first time that members of Haiti's private sector serve in both the rotating presidency and the post of prime minister, two positions that share the country's executive duties. Saint-Cyr had his start at a local insurance company while Haiti's current prime minister once ran an internet firm. 'Our country is going through one of the greatest crises in all its history,' Saint-Cyr said as he was sworn in. 'It's not the time for beautiful speeches. It's time to act.' Gang leader issues a warning Hours earlier, a powerful gang federation that has long denounced Haiti's oligarchs threatened to overthrow the government, and gunfire erupted in parts of the capital. In a video posted on social media, Viv Ansanm gang leader Jimmy Chérizier — better known as 'Barbecue' — warns residents to give his armed group free passage through neighborhoods to reach the council's office. 'People of Haiti, take care of yourselves and help us … in the battle to free the country,' Chérizier says, wearing a bulletproof vest and with an automatic rifle slung around his shoulder. A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police said in a statement that officers thwarted potential attacks by around-the-clock patrols and by boosting the number of armed forces in certain neighborhoods and around critical infrastructure. 'Armed gangs had plotted to disrupt national stability and render the country ungovernable,' it said.
