This is the new normal in Haiti. As politicians gather at the country’s National Palace for the swearing in of a new transitional council, sporadic gunfire is heard nearby. There are a few nervous faces, but no-one seems especially concerned.
The ceremony was being held to mark a new beginning for the country after the resignation of unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Thursday, but much of the event had to be held behind closed doors, because the security situation in the capital is so unpredictable.
Gangs still control around 80% of Port-au-prince, and have previously launched attacks on the National Palace, police stations and the country’s main airport.
One of the key aims of the gangs, led by Jimmy "Barbeque" Cherizier, was to topple Ariel Henry’s government. But Henry’s departure seems unlikely to end the violence, with Cherizier warning the new council members to ‘brace’ themselves earlier in the week. They want to be a part of any new government.
Led by Henry’s former finance minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, the new council will seek to bring order back to the embattled Caribbean nation - but it’s a huge task.
Half of the population is struggling to feed itself, according to the world food programme, there is a spiralling economic crisis, and the security services here are desperately short of manpower and equipment. The US has said its helping the Haitian police to regain control.
The council has a mandate until early 2026, by which time a new, democratically elected president will need to be installed.
But it seems certain that the gangs will try to derail that process, and at the moment, no one knows how to stop them.
According to the United Nations, more than 1,500 people were killed and 800 injured in the first three months of 2024.
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