Exclusive interview with Prime Minister Garry Conille

The Prime Minister addresses questions surrounding Anthony Blinken’s visit, the challenges of the transition and the accusations against the Minister of Justice

Prime Minister Garry Conille has been in office for a little over three months, following his appointment by the Presidential Council to lead the government.

He is taking the reins at what is probably one of the most difficult moments of national life in recent decades.

In 2021, Jovenel Moïse – a president – was assassinated in the privacy of his bedroom. Several state officials and individuals are charged in this case, but the intellectual perpetrators and motives for the violent murder remain unknown. The Haitian justice system has yet to produce a conviction, unlike the American courts.

At the end of February, gangs attacked several public institutions in the metropolitan area, opening the doors of the most important prisons and momentarily cutting Haiti off from the rest of the world.

The Prime Minister at the time, Ariel Henry, resigned under pressure from the international community.

In the aftermath, a seven-member presidential council was formed, a new government was installed and a so-called multinational force, approved by the United Nations, arrived in the country in June.

Today, more than half a million Haitians are displaced by gang violence, and half of the country does not have enough to eat.

In addition, the main roads leading to Port-au-Prince remain controlled by gangs. Gangs that defy the legal forces, burn down neighborhoods and participate in all kinds of trafficking.

« I discovered that there has been an underestimation of both the seriousness of the security situation and the economic and social situation, » says Prime Minister Garry Conille in this exclusive interview with AyiboPost.

The former United Nations executive now calls on the international community to respect its commitments, and raises the issue of insecurity and other matters concerning his government.

Conille was Prime Minister from 2011 to 2012 under the presidency of Michel Martelly. His exchanges with AyiboPost, carried out on Friday, September 6, on the sidelines of his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, have been lightly edited for clarity.

What are the difficulties facing the government?

The truth is that we have inherited an infrastructure that is totally destabilized. It is the capacity of state institutions to respond that’s really been diminished.

We have lost 20 to 25% of the administrative staff. People are demoralized. The first problem we have is the legacy we have inherited, the instruments at our disposal to face the major challenges of the day.

All the structures that should allow us to deal with this kind of situation are now seriously weakened.

The second thing, of course, is the considerable delay in the execution of commitments made by various partners. At this stage, we were anticipating many more people with us. We expected to have a lot more resources. Things are somewhat lagging.

That is why we have initiated a serious diplomatic effort with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is in the process of meeting with various partners and reminding them that they have made commitments that they must uphold. We should be much further along in the levels of support we have received than we are. So this may be the second challenge. The third challenge is the sheer extent of the control these armed groups wield on the metropolitan area.

I discovered that there has been an underestimation of both the seriousness of the security situation and the economic and social situation.

Having done this kind of thing in several countries, in more than twenty countries around the world, I can tell you that I find that both Haitians and foreigners had grossly underestimated the seriousness of the economic and social situation: with more than half of the population in food insufficiency, decapitalization, small and medium-sized enterprises shuttered, as well as the absence of investment and negative growth over several years.

I think they have also underestimated the security crisis with the foothold that the armed groups have on the metropolitan area, and their capacity for resistance. You see their level of organization, their access to different types of equipment, ammunition and weapons. I think that, by and large, a good part of the Haitian people and the international community underestimated the situation.

That’s why, once again, I think the discussions we are now having about how to move forward, after evaluating this mission, are very important.

Public Health Minister Georges Fils Brignol received a letter of reprimand for failing to follow government instructions. Do you intend to ask for his resignation?

No, absolutely not.

I was very surprised by a decision that was made and which I found to be in breach of the law and the directives I had given at the start of the mandate. We have discussed the matter. I think we’ve found a compromise and we’re moving forward.

There are allegations of influence peddling against the Minister of Justice, Carlos Hercule, accused of having freed former clients. Have you discussed this with him? What do you intend to do with these allegations?

As far as the Minister of Justice is concerned, no, I did not talk to him about that. I saw in the press that there was some information, but for the moment, I have no reason to doubt either the integrity or the competence of the Minister.

So, for the time being, he has my full confidence.

Where do you stand with the fight against corruption in public administration?

I have appointed a minister counsellor responsible for sanitation, who is already working with the OMRH [the Office of Management and Human Resources] and other institutions so can carry out a major corrective action on several elements of public administration which, in my opinion, are fragile.

We are taking steps to ensure that, for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, all government revenues are taxed. We will eliminate any possibility of government revenues in cash. This will help us a lot.

We are also reviewing the management of contract workers, as well as the recruitment of staff. There are a lot of things going on at this level. You will also recall that we have submitted an important file concerning the BMPAD to the ULCC [the Anti-Corruption Unit], which is currently being examined.

Whenever we come across a file that seems sensitive, we immediately call on the relevant government agencies. We will continue to act in systematic fashion.

How did the meeting with the American officials go on Thursday?

We were happy to welcome [Anthony Blinken]. For me, this trip signifies his personal commitment, as well as the commitment of the American people to continue to accompany and support efforts in Haiti.

He has clearly reiterated his commitment and willingness to ensure that we have the necessary support to deal with the current crisis. It was a very cordial exchange.

We reviewed the latest developments in the security situation since the last meeting and both agreed that the situation is still very complex, but that there is progress: the presidency, the establishment of the government, the appointment of certain directors-general, the progress, although slow, but gradual with the Committee on Constitutional Reform, the Provisional Electoral Council. The population itself is cautiously optimistic, agreeing to support the process.

We also recognized that the challenges are enormous, and that it is crucial that those who have pledged their support live up to their commitments. The force needs to be swiftly reinforced, the police equipped and the participation of Haitians in this process must be strengthened. Elections need to move forward quickly. We agree that the CEP must be put in place as soon as possible.

Has the government made any requests?

It’s always the same [demands]: the implementation of the commitments that were made as quickly as possible, especially in terms of the strength and the specialized support that we need today, because we have a better idea of what is needed.

We have been conducting operations in Solino for almost 14 days. So we have a better idea of what it takes to accomplish the mission.

We also insisted on the need for humanitarian, social and economic support, and explained that it is crucial to react very quickly once we have reclaimed these territories.

We must re-establish the state, rebuild health centers, revive schools, and rebuild police stations. Essentially, we explained that, now that we have a better appreciation of the situation, we have a clearer vision of the strategy to be put in place and a better understanding of how the international community can support us.

Did you talk about the allegations of corruption against the three members of the Presidential Council?

They wanted to know about the relationship between the Prime Minister and the [Presidential Council]. We explained that we have exchanges. We don’t always agree, but we manage to find a compromise. We manage to get along and move forward. That’s the main thing for me. I haven’t really touched on specific questions about corruption cases.

The President of the Council, Mr. Edgard Leblanc Fils, insisted that Haiti is almost done with the preparations for the Electoral Council. Is this a point of view that you share?

It is mainly the Presidential Council that deals with everything related to the establishment of the CEP. So, they were the ones who took the steps, who led the proceedings and who coordinated the process.

Indeed, what I can understand is that they are on the right track. They are missing a few members, but intend to move forward. What I understood is that very quickly, over the next week, we should have positive results on this matter.

The Haitian administration highlights the army in its strategy to fight gangs. Has this issue been addressed?

Not really. Obviously, I explained our strategy. With regard to my regional references, in El Salvador, Jamaica, or Colombia, a state of emergency has been declared because they want to have the support of the army.

The police, in general, are not well equipped for consolidation. In our case, with the intensity of the problem we have, with the limits in manpower… For example, in El Salvador, they have 300 police officers per 100,000 inhabitants. There are about 60 of us. So we don’t have the luxury of leaving the armed forces aside.

It’s something I explain every time I have the chance to, but we haven’t really had any discussions about the army.

Where did the idea of transforming the Kenyan force into a UN force come from?

It’s always an option. In general, when we consider this kind of support, the peacekeeping force option is always on the table.

And it was done long before me. So, I don’t really have any details on that. We are approaching the reassessment of this multinational force. It is quite normal, in my opinion, that solutions are considered.

As you understand, the situation is dynamic and evolves every day. So, there are assumptions that have changed. There is a context that has changed. So, it’s quite normal that it comes back on the table.

It’s been a year since the [UN resolution authorizing the multinational force].

As we get closer to October 30, it is only natural that all parties involved start to ask themselves whether this is the best formula, whether it gives us enough resources, whether it is holistic enough.

The multinational police force is mainly to accompany the Haitian police. As we evolve, we see that there are other components that are needed. Support for the justice system, support for disarmament, reintegration…

But what is your position on this transformation?

I think it’s a welcome conversation. Obviously, we will have to wait until we have discussions with the Presidential Council and other actors. You have to understand the implications. I also have to understand what the other options are.

Let’s talk about the presence of children in certain armed groups. Is the government aware of these issues? Was this discussed during the meeting?

Yes. Three days ago, I convened UNICEF to discuss this issue with them. At a time when the government is working hard with all sectors to prepare for the start of the school year, we cannot help but think of the thousands of children who will not have this privilege.

So I myself invited UNICEF to think about the possible options to see if we can extend an olive branch because it is very painful for a 13-year-old child to see children of the same age preparing their uniforms, buying their books or notebooks, and realizing that they will not have this option.

So, I asked UNICEF to see to what extent they can help us set up a program that would allow children to have an alternative with their families.

When I arrived at the meeting, UNICEF had already reached out to the various partners, and the United States was aware of our interest in seeing how we could develop a program that would allow the children to be reintegrated. It is in this context that the issue was discussed.

How far have you come with these preparations?

We have follow-up meetings that are to be held this week precisely to see what this would imply in terms of preparation, in terms of resources, in terms of arrangements.

But the idea is very simple: it’s to say to these children, listen, we don’t want to leave you behind either. We want to move forward with you, and if you can lay down your weapons, you can go through a center, do a psychological evaluation, a health assessment, see with the parents, if the parents are still there, to what extent we can create a space for them so that quietly, but surely, they re-enter the normal cycle and go back to school.

We still need a little empathy for their situation, because in many cases, it is children who are forced to join these groups. So we have to be able to offer them this olive branch.

In the context of the start of the school year, we thought it would be important to set up a program.

So, this week, I hope that the partners will come back to us so that we can see if we can put something in place.

And how are you doing, Mr. Prime Minister?

Thank you very much.

I didn’t expect this question.

In truth, I have to tell you that I’m okay. It’s true that the task is complex. But I have to tell you that in this pilgrimage, I had the chance to discover committed people, people who are ready to really put everything they have at the service of the country.

I found motivated people, I met police officers who don’t hesitate for a second to give their lives…

When I went to the hospital, I came across two young police officers who had already been victims, who already had gunshot wounds, who went back to fight the gangs, who were injured again and who were just waiting for the moment to recover and go back to fighting.

So, there were moments of great inspiration that reconfirmed for me that I made the right decision to come and put myself at the service of my country. Frankly, for the moment, the task is not easy, but I am committed, and we will go all the way.

The name of the minister of health has been corrected from an earlier version of this article. 22.03 8.9.2024

By Widlore Mérancourt

Cover image: Prime Minister Garry Conille attending the Cabinet meeting on Monday, September 2, 2024. | © PrimatureHT / X

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