As Haiti edges towards the brink of a civil war with non-stop violence gripping most of the country, CARICOM has met with representatives of the Haitian Government and the Opposition of Haiti along with other stakeholders seeking a way forward.

Criminal gangs have taken over the capital and have demanded the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister, who was recently in Guyana for the CARICOM Conference.

CARICOM is seeking a speedy resolution to the problem.

CARICOM Chairman, President Irfaan Ali, in a statement this afternoon said despite the meetings, CARICOM has been unable to broker a deal that would bring the situation under control.

The Haitian  government has declared a state of emergency.

“In spite of many many meetings, we have not yet been able to reach any form of consensus between the Government, and the respective stakeholders in the Opposition, the private sector, civil society and religious organizations. This situation is complex with many moving parts and is compounded by the absence of key institutions functioning such as the Presidency and the Parliament,” President Ali stated today as he provided an update. 

According to the President, the situation in Haiti is further undermined by continuous violence and lack of humanitarian aid. He said CARICOM has been urging all Haitian stakeholders that there needs to be an urgent consensus given that they have agreed that the solution must be Haitian led.

“Consensus and getting a consensus are therefore of paramount importance. We recognized that there must be a political solution to anchor any stabilization of the security and humanitarian efforts. The fact that more people have died in Haiti in the early part of this year than in Ukraine must give anyone in Haiti and in the international community, serious pause,” the President stated.

The issue on Haiti was placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council today in a closed session.  However, President Ali said with a home-grown solution in Haiti being sought, the country will need the support of not just CARICOM, but the international community.

Hundreds of persons have been killed in violent attacks in the past few months.

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