PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Alix Didier Fils-Aime was sworn in as Haiti’s new prime minister on Monday, taking office under the shadow of spiraling gang violence and an unprecedented attack on a civilian airliner at Port-au-Prince’s airport.
His swearing-in ceremony follows months of escalating violence and political instability that have left the country without a fully functioning government or president.
Fils-Aime succeeds Garry Conille, who was ousted just five months after his appointment due to a power struggle with Haiti’s transitional council, a nine-member body responsible for overseeing the nation’s recovery.
“Our first essential job, which is a condition for success, is restoring security,” Fils-Aime declared in his inaugural speech, acknowledging the profound challenges Haiti faces.
He pledged his commitment to stabilizing the crisis-ridden nation, promising to put “all of my energy, my skills, and my patriotism at the service of the national cause.”
The new prime minister’s mandate comes at a time of extreme volatility. On Monday, a Spirit Airlines passenger jet en route from Florida to Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire during its descent, forcing the pilot to reroute to the neighboring Dominican Republic.
One flight attendant suffered minor injuries from shattered glass, while images circulating online show multiple bullet holes in the cabin.
Fortunately, no passengers were harmed. In response, Port-au-Prince’s airport suspended all commercial flights, and American Airlines has paused service between Miami and Haiti’s capital through Thursday.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) strongly condemned the assault on the civilian aircraft, stressing the urgent need for security to protect critical air operations in the region.
Haiti has endured political and social crises for decades, but the situation has deteriorated sharply since February when armed groups initiated a wave of violence across the capital, aiming to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Haitian gangs now control roughly 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, their tactics growing increasingly complex as they resist intervention efforts.
The gangs, armed with drones, weapons, and trench barricades, have forced nearly 700,000 Haitians to flee their homes, half of them children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The appointment of Fils-Aime comes amid increased international involvement, as 400 Kenyan police officers and smaller contingents from the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize are currently stationed in Haiti to aid in stabilizing the country.
More than 600 additional officers are expected by November’s end. Despite their presence, gang-related violence persists.
A recent U.N. report documented over 1,200 deaths from July through September alone, along with rising kidnappings and instances of sexual violence against women and girls.
Outgoing Prime Minister Conille’s dismissal by the transitional council on Sunday has only deepened the instability.
With no sitting parliament since the last elections in 2016 and the presidential office vacant since the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moise, Haiti has struggled to maintain any semblance of government.
Conille has contested the legality of his ousting, a dispute that threatens to further complicate the country’s already tenuous political landscape.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Haitian leaders to put the country’s interests first, urging all parties to work together for a peaceful transition.
“What is important is that Haitian political leaders put the interests of Haiti first and foremost,” his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday.
His swearing-in ceremony follows months of escalating violence and political instability that have left the country without a fully functioning government or president.
Fils-Aime succeeds Garry Conille, who was ousted just five months after his appointment due to a power struggle with Haiti’s transitional council, a nine-member body responsible for overseeing the nation’s recovery.
“Our first essential job, which is a condition for success, is restoring security,” Fils-Aime declared in his inaugural speech, acknowledging the profound challenges Haiti faces.
He pledged his commitment to stabilizing the crisis-ridden nation, promising to put “all of my energy, my skills, and my patriotism at the service of the national cause.”
The new prime minister’s mandate comes at a time of extreme volatility. On Monday, a Spirit Airlines passenger jet en route from Florida to Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire during its descent, forcing the pilot to reroute to the neighboring Dominican Republic.
One flight attendant suffered minor injuries from shattered glass, while images circulating online show multiple bullet holes in the cabin.
Fortunately, no passengers were harmed. In response, Port-au-Prince’s airport suspended all commercial flights, and American Airlines has paused service between Miami and Haiti’s capital through Thursday.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) strongly condemned the assault on the civilian aircraft, stressing the urgent need for security to protect critical air operations in the region.
Haiti has endured political and social crises for decades, but the situation has deteriorated sharply since February when armed groups initiated a wave of violence across the capital, aiming to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Haitian gangs now control roughly 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, their tactics growing increasingly complex as they resist intervention efforts.
The gangs, armed with drones, weapons, and trench barricades, have forced nearly 700,000 Haitians to flee their homes, half of them children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The appointment of Fils-Aime comes amid increased international involvement, as 400 Kenyan police officers and smaller contingents from the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize are currently stationed in Haiti to aid in stabilizing the country.
More than 600 additional officers are expected by November’s end. Despite their presence, gang-related violence persists.
A recent U.N. report documented over 1,200 deaths from July through September alone, along with rising kidnappings and instances of sexual violence against women and girls.
Outgoing Prime Minister Conille’s dismissal by the transitional council on Sunday has only deepened the instability.
With no sitting parliament since the last elections in 2016 and the presidential office vacant since the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moise, Haiti has struggled to maintain any semblance of government.
Conille has contested the legality of his ousting, a dispute that threatens to further complicate the country’s already tenuous political landscape.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Haitian leaders to put the country’s interests first, urging all parties to work together for a peaceful transition.
“What is important is that Haitian political leaders put the interests of Haiti first and foremost,” his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday.
