Pa dòmi kote w pa ta renmen reveye
September 13, 2024 - September 27, 2024
September 13, 2024 - Septemer 27, 2024
Welcome to the latest edition of Woy Magazine’s biweekly newsletter, providing you with must-know news and commentary on Haiti and our Diaspora.
We can’t do this work without you. We have introduced a paid subscription option for our newsletter. Consider switching your free subscription to a paid one to support our work! Click the button below.
Pa dòmi kote w pa ta renmen reveye
Don't sleep where you would not wish to wake up
(Haitian proverb)
CHAY LA | Main Story
This past week, the tension between Prime Minister Garry Conille and the presidential council spilled onto the world stage as the two failed to coordinate the country’s representation for the United Nations General Assembly. Normally, the head of state would travel to participate in such high-level talks, but Conille traveled to New York ahead of the presidential council to represent the country without being delegated the task by the presidential council. This resulted in confusion over who should receive a security detail from the US Secret Service, and Leslie Voltaire, one of the presidential council members, was denied access to a closed-door bilateral meeting with President Lula of Brazil.
These gaffes are additional blemishes on the image of the presidential council, already beleaguered by allegations of corruption. They also reveal the intent of Conille to bypass the presidential council and function like a Prime Minister -president like his predecessor Ariel Henry. Ultimately, Edgard Leblanc Fils, the head of the presidential council, made a speech during which he expressed support for transforming the Kenyan foreign mission into a UN peacekeeping force. Leblanc also addressed France’s debt to Haiti and the recent treatment of Haitians in Springfield, Ohio.
Conille, who regularly communicates with the public, recently celebrated his first 100 days in office with a flashy event at an expensive hotel. This was a stark contrast to Ariel Henry, who had chosen not to speak after his first 100 days in office following his controversial appointment after Jovenel’s assassination. But have Conille and the presidential council actually done anything worthy of praise for the average Haitian? It all seems unsubstantiated. Journalist Jean Robert Bazile refers to this style of governance as la gestion du vide (The management of emptiness).
Ici, la gestion du vide, dans son expression la plus simple, traduit les mécanismes mis en place pour gérer le chaos qu’on a mis du temps à organiser en Haïti. Puisqu’il faut maintenir le pays dans la crise, il leur faut un narratif. Une manière de nommer les choses et une finesse dans les actions pour simuler et dissimuler leurs intentions. La stratégie, c’est la non-décision. La politique de la non-décision se manifeste à travers des formules comme : décider de ne pas décider ; dire sans faire ; faire l’amnésique ; tergiverser ; donner l’impression de faire quelque chose alors qu’on ne fait rien. Mensonges. Demi-vérités. Illusions. Propagande. Langue de bois. Novlangue. C’est ici tout l’arsenal d’un gouvernement qui n’est pas dans l’action.
Source: Media Libre
Fuel Tanker Fire In Miragwan
An explosion in Miragwan has tragically killed 24 people and injured 40 after an overturned fuel tanker exploded while folks were trying to collect fuel from the bellied tanker. Tanker truck accidents like these pose a high risk of explosion due to leaks, especially with flammable liquids like gas.
Several of the victims were transferred to the Saint Boniface de Fond des Blancs hospital and the Immaculée Conception des Cayes hospital. Others have to be airlifted to Port-au-Prince for treatment due to a lack of doctors and medical supplies in Miragwan. Our sympathies go out to the families of all those affected.
In December 2021, a similar accident occurred in Okap, claiming the lives of 75 people, with over 40 homes destroyed by the ensuing explosion in Nan Bannann. Katie Fils-Aimé discussed this tragedy and the notable absence of the Haitian state as a through line in an article for Woy Magazine.
“Once more, Haiti is being mentioned in international news for another calamity following the assassination of the president, the earthquake that happened in the South of the country, the mass arrival of Haitian migrants at American borders, and the overall insecurity growing rampant in the streets. In the face of so many tragedies, one cannot help but notice the absence of a Government, whose first duty is to protect its citizens.” (Source: Woy Magazine)
ON THIS DAY
Bòn Fèt Papa Desalin
On September 20th, Haiti celebrated the birth of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, however some Haitian historians like Pierre Buteau contest this date. September 20th was instituted as a national holiday by President Jovenel Moise. In Okap, folks celebrated with a sculpture competition on the Place des Armes in front of the cathedral.
Born in St. Domingue in 1758 and one of our foremost founding fathers, Jean-Jacques Dessalines started his revolutionary journey by joining the uprisings that erupted in the north of the island of Saint-Domingue in 1791. His early military training is said to have come from Adbaraya “Mama” Toya, an original member of the famed “Amazones of Dahomey”, who looked out for him when he was brought to the island as a captive.
Dessalines later rose to prominence as a lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army and showed great distinction thanks to his skill on the battlefield and his bravery. One of the greatest leaders to grace the pages of history, Dessalines has been demonized by the West, who favored colonial interests. While he is often described as a brutal and violent leader, Dessalines should be remembered for his legacy as a revolutionary who stood and fought for the equality and humanity of all people and won.