Latest news with #Paraison
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Haiti appoints new police chief to tackle gang violence
PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti's transitional government appointed Vladimir Paraison, former head of palace security, as the new national police chief on Friday. The move aims to strengthen efforts against armed gangs controlling much of the capital. Paraison vowed to restore security nationwide during his inauguration ceremony. 'We the police will not sleep,' he said. 'We will provide security across every corner of the country.' He replaces Rameau Normil, whose tenure was marked by tensions with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime. Gangs under the Viv Ansanm alliance dominate Port-au-Prince, committing killings, kidnappings, and extortion. Haiti's underfunded police and army struggle to contain gang expansion beyond the capital. Over 1.3 million Haitians have fled their homes due to the violence. Paraison, wounded in past clashes, took office at Villa d'Acceuil, the temporary government headquarters. Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr emphasised the urgency of restoring security. 'This change is not a sanction but called for by the urgency and the necessity to give new breath to the Haitian National Police,' he said. - Reuters
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Haiti replaces police chief with former head of palace security
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Outgoing Haitian National Police Chief Rameau Normil is seen at the police headquarters on the day of his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo PORT-AU-PRINCE - Haiti's former national palace security chief, Vladimir Paraison, was appointed national police chief by the country's transitional government on Friday, as the Caribbean nation looks to battle armed gangs that have displaced over a million people. "We the police will not sleep," Paraison, who has the reputation of a seasoned and determined professional, told an inauguration ceremony. "We will provide security across every corner of the country." Paraison replaced Rameau Normil, whose tenure of just over a year was marked by tensions with a faction of the country's presidential council, notably with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, who separately coordinated a task force responsible for explosive drone operations against gangs. Most of Haiti's capital is controlled by the gangs, who have largely grouped behind an alliance known as Viv Ansanm, which Washington has designated a terrorist organization responsible for mass killings, rapes, kidnappings and extortion. Haiti's cash-strapped national police and fledgling army have struggled to hold back their advances beyond Port-au-Prince, even with limited support from a U.N.-backed force. Some 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced due to the conflict, which killed more than 3,100 people in the first half of this year. Paraison was met with a round of applause as he officially took up the job at the ceremony in Haiti's Villa d'Acceuil, stepping to the podium using a cane after he was wounded in the leg while fighting armed gangs. The building serves as the government's temporary seat of power after the national palace in downtown Port-au-Prince became too insecure. Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr, who took up the final six-month rotational leadership of the transitional government a day earlier, thanked the outgoing Normil. "This change is not a sanction but called for by the urgency and the necessity to give new breath to the Haitian National Police," Saint-Cyr said. "Everything rests on one thing: security." REUTERS
