Haiti’s transition council has officially assumed power, formalizing the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The council, consisting of nine members, was sworn in during a ceremony on Thursday, marking a significant step in Haiti’s efforts to establish stability after years of gang-related violence.
Michel Patrick Boisvert, Haiti’s former finance minister, will serve as interim prime minister until the council appoints a new head of government, cabinet, and provisional electoral council. These appointments will pave the way for eventual elections in the Caribbean nation.
In a speech after the swearing-in ceremony, Boisvert acknowledged the importance of the day for Haiti, expressing optimism that it would open the path to solutions for the country’s challenges. Regine Abraham, a non-voting member of the council, thanked security forces and international mediators for their support and outlined the council’s priorities, which include focusing on security, initiating a national consultation on constitutional reform, preparing for elections, and rebuilding the judiciary system and economy.
However, despite the transition council’s installation, gang violence continues to plague Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Local media reported incidents of houses being set on fire and shootings in the downtown and Delmas areas, with images of smoke rising above the city skyline and families fleeing with their belongings circulating on social media.
Armed gangs, armed with weapons largely trafficked from the United States, have tightened their grip on the capital in recent years and have sought to overthrow Henry. Since he pledged to resign last month, they have called for a broader ‘revolution.’ Earlier this week, gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbeque’ Cherizier warned members of the transition council to ‘brace’ themselves. Unverified voice recordings circulating on social media over the weekend allegedly feature Cherizier ordering his soldiers to indiscriminately burn houses in Lower Delmas, an impoverished part of the capital where he grew up.
The transition government’s mandate extends until February 2026, at which point elections are scheduled to be held. The council’s naming of a new prime minister or council president has yet to be announced.
Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, cautioned about potential tensions within the council as different factions vie for power, warning of a ‘long and rocky road ahead.’ Local organization Together Against Corruption (ECC) has called on the new authorities to be financially transparent to demonstrate their commitment to establishing a government that breaks with the past.
The installation of the transition council is seen as a crucial step towards deploying a multinational security mission that Henry requested in 2022 and the United Nations approved over six months ago. Kenya has offered to lead this mission, but plans were put on hold last month pending the establishment of a new Haitian government.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the new authorities to swiftly implement new governance arrangements to facilitate the deployment of the mission, which has received less funding and fewer troops than the UN has requested.
According to UN estimates, over 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence from January through March, resulting in hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and millions facing severe hunger.
Foreign diplomats have welcomed the ceremony as a significant step towards restoring security, with Kenyan President William Ruto expressing the nation’s readiness to collaborate with its counterparts in ‘rapidly executing the security support infrastructure.’
The council members installed are the same as those announced last week: seven voting members, all men, representing various political parties, former diplomats, a barrister, and a businessman, along with two non-voting observers: a pastor and former government adviser.
