Transitional council selects a new prime minister for Haiti

U.N. development specialist Garry Conille has been appointed as Haiti’s new prime minister amidst ongoing gang violence in the capital of Port-au-Prince. The decision was made by six out of seven council members, with Conille replacing Michel Patrick Boisvert, who served as interim prime minister after Ariel Henry’s resignation in April.

Conille, who previously held the position of Haiti’s prime minister from 2011 to 2012, brings a wealth of experience to the role. He has been UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean since 2023 and has a background in medicine and public health. Conille played a crucial role in coordinating reconstruction efforts after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

However, Conille faces significant challenges ahead as he takes over the helm of a country plagued by deep poverty and rampant gang violence. Gangs controlling key routes in Port-au-Prince have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, leading to a record inflation rate of 29%.

The selection of Conille comes after a controversial process that saw former sports minister Fritz Bélizaire initially chosen for the post in April. The drawn-out process has been criticized by many, including the Montana Accord, a Haitian civil society group, for lacking transparency and failing to address the worsening situation in the country.

As Conille steps into his new role, he will need to navigate the complex political landscape in Haiti, quell gang violence, and work towards lifting the country out of poverty. With the support of the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from Kenya and other countries, Conille will have a challenging but crucial task ahead of him.