Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
The United States on Wednesday warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against reforms to the embattled country’s government, as pressure mounted on the unelected body to head toward elections for the first time in a decade.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti wrote in a statement posted on
The US embassy added that such an approach would undermine efforts to establish “a minimum level of security and stability” in Haiti, where gang violence is rampant and poverty has worsened.
The statement comes amid disagreements between some members of the committee and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fiers Aimé, although the reasons are unclear. The committee met behind closed doors earlier Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said late Wednesday that he could not comment on the matter. The committee’s seven voting members did not respond to messages seeking comment.
An unelected parliament was appointed to quell the chaos
It is the latest episode in years of political chaos that has erupted since Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s last democratically elected president, was killed at his home in July 2021.
The Commission has been one of the highest authorities in the country since its establishment in April 2024 with the help of Caribbean Sea Powerful gangs have taken control of Haiti’s main international airport and targeted them in a series of unprecedented attacks that ultimately led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The committee is charged with electing Haiti’s prime minister in a bid to quickly bring some stability to the troubled country.
It initially chose long-time civil servant Garry Conille, but fired him in November 2025 and instead chose Fils-Aimé, a businessman and former president of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The committee was scheduled to resign by February 7, but it is unclear whether this will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to extend their stay in power, a move many fear could trigger a new round of violent protests.
The February 7 deadline was approved in early 2024, assuming Haiti will hold elections to elect a new president. Gang violence has so far prevented officials from holding elections, although they are tentatively scheduled for August with a runoff in December.
United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss Haiti
A new United Nations report released on Wednesday noted that “national stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance architecture that will guide the country through the elections.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council met to discuss the situation in Haiti.
“Haiti has entered a critical stage in the process of restoring democratic institutions,” said UN Special Representative Carlos Ruiz-Mahieu. Secretary General in Haiti. “Let us be clear: The era of political manipulation is over.”
Panamanian Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba pointed out at the meeting that Haiti is at a “critical juncture” with only 18 days left in the term of the Transitional Presidential Council.
“The persistence of violence … remains of greatest concern,” he said.
Some U.N. Security Council members noted the need for Haiti to move quickly toward a democratic transition as gangs continue to control more territory.
“This deadline needs to be met with a sense of responsibility… to maintain national continuity and avoid any disruption that could undermine the functioning of state institutions,” said Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Eric Pierre.
It is estimated that 90% of the area is controlled by gangs Port-au-PrinceThe capital of Haiti, they occupied large tracts of land in the central region of the country.
The United Nations reported that more than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti between January and November last year, “and that the numbers are likely to be an underestimate due to restrictions on access to gang-controlled areas.”
The Haitian National Police have been working to quell gang violence with the help of a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, who remain understaffed and underfunded.
The mission is being transformed into a so-called “gang suppression force” with the authority to arrest suspected gang members.
The Haitian government has also been working with a private military contractor to launch drone strikes against suspected gang members that have also resulted in civilian deaths. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attacks between March and December last year killed more than 970 people, including 39 civilians, 16 of them children.
___
Associated Press reporter Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this report.