At least two US airlines have suspended flights to Haiti on Monday after a plane was shot at by armed gangs, amid a wave of violence in the Caribbean country and on a day marked by the dismissal of the prime minister.
During the day, a Spirit Airlines aircraft from Florida (United States) was attacked, forcing the pilot to divert to the nearest airport in the Dominican Republic. After this, both this company and Jet Blue have announced the suspension of their flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien (north) until further notice, according to the Haitian news portal Rezo Nodwes.
Meanwhile, sources consulted by the US television network CNN have indicated that one of the airline’s workers has suffered minor injuries and was being evaluated by medical personnel. In addition, an inspection after landing in Dominican territory has “revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consisting of gunfire.”
During the day, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council dismissed Prime Minister Garry Conille and appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the new head of government after a month of growing tensions between the leaders of the Executive Branch. In light of this decision, UN Secretary General António Guterres urged all parties to work “constructively to advance the political transition.” “It is essential that they overcome their differences and put the country first,” he said.
For its part, the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), led by Kenya, issued a statement in which it reaffirmed its commitment to supporting security and stability in the country, stressing that its main mandate “is to help create the security conditions conducive to the Haitian Government’s objective of holding free and fair elections.”
“As part of this mission, the MSS, in collaboration with the (Haitian National Police) PNH, continues to conduct joint operations and patrols aimed at disrupting gang activities and protecting critical government infrastructure. These efforts are critical to stabilising the nation and ensuring the security of its citizens,” it said on its profile on the social network X.
The mission has argued that it is currently in the deployment phase and “is moving, with the arrival of additional security personnel from the countries that provide personnel, to the decisive operations phase.” However, it added that the collaboration between both institutions “is crucial to achieving the stability necessary for Haiti’s progress and prosperity.”
Haiti has not had a president since early July 2021, when a group of armed individuals broke into the official residence and assassinated Jovenel Moise. Shortly after, Ariel Henry rose to the position of prime minister amid criticism and after several years of instability. In March of this year, he resigned after a wave of violence that shook the Caribbean nation.
In the third quarter of the year, more than 1,200 people have been killed and another 522 injured by gang violence, bringing the total number of fatalities to 4,900, according to a report prepared by the UN.
