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March 8, 2024 (New York, New York)– Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, a significant portion of the population in Port-au-Prince has been displaced, and the population across the nation has struggled to survive with severe shortages of food, water and medicine. In the last three years the United Nations has reported communities across Haiti terrorized and some five thousand people killed by well-armed criminal gangs. (https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitis-gang- wars-death-toll-doubles-nearly-5000-year-un-2024-01-23/).
In the last two weeks this situation has evolved into a full scale civil war with organized gangs freeing thousands of dangerous inmates from two prisons and attacking government buildings, the international airport, and several police stations. Death and instability are rising at an alarming and increasing rate.
Dr. Ariel Henry, and his current government body, has been unwilling and unable to address the pressing problems of insecurity and gang violence. (https://thehill.com/latino/4516984- haitian-advocates-call-for-us-policy-reset-as-crisis-deepens/).
In order to effectively address the most urgent situation, Prime Minister Ariel Henry must resign immediately. A newly formed neutral organization with the support of all sectors of the Haitian population including the Haitian diaspora must be entrusted to carry out very specific mandates, such as establishing security throughout the country and organizing free and fair elections within a reasonable and specific time-table, agreed to by all stakeholder parties.
We call upon the international community, primarily the United States of America, to support the new transitional government by providing critical humanitarian support and the deployment of a qualified police force to assist, support, equip and train the Haitian police, in conjunction with the Haitian Military.
We further call on the United States to take immediate steps to stop the flow of illegal weapons and ammunition from the United States to the violent gangs who have murdered and terrorized thousands of our daughters and sons, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. “The time for talks has come and passed. This is a time for decisive actions, and a new transitional government is the first step towards avoiding an all-out civil war in Haiti” said Dr. Georges J. Casimir, President, Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee (HDPAC).
HDPAC has endeavored to work with all people of good conscience who would like to see a better, functioning democracy in Haiti. To that end, Ret. Lt. General Russell Honoré has agreed to serve as an advisor to help assist with re-establishing security in Haiti. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russel_L._Honoré).
“We in the Haitian Diaspora anticipated the worsening of the situation in Haiti; that is the reason why in 2022 we worked with General Honoré to bring the parties together in the Diaspora Unity Summit in Louisiana at Southern University in Baton Rouge in an attempt to solve the problem but the U.S. State Department, France and Canada continued to support Ariel Henry even though the people of Haiti made it clear that Ariel had to go.” (https://www.sulc.edu/news/4660). David L. Alexis, President, Office of the Haitian Diaspora (ODIHA).
The Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee (HDPAC), and the Office of the Haitian Diaspora (ODIHA) call on President Joe Biden and his administration specifically the U.S. State Department to actively support the transition of the new government, the extension of TPS (Temporary Protective Status) for undocumented Haitians, and the suspension of deportations back to Haiti. (https://www.wola.org/analysis/a-tragic-milestone-20000th-migrant-deported-to- haitisincebideninauguration/#:~:text=The%20Biden%20administration%20has%20kept,March %202020%20and%20December%202021).
We hope the international community will allow Haitians to decide for themselves who should lead the transitional government of the second oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere without undue influence or unneeded intervention from foreign entities. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_Group#:~:text=The%20Core%20Group%20w as%20established,the%20Organization%20of%20American%20States%20.).
Dr. Georges J. Casimir President, Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee (HDPAC)
David L. Alexis President Office of the Haitian Diaspora (ODIHA)
