Sendenden yo nan lakou a
Bonjou! Welcome to the latest edition of Woy Magazine’s weekly newsletter, providing you with must-know news and commentary on Haiti and our Diaspora.
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Two Months Later…
This week marked two months since Jovenel Moise’s assassination, and the investigation continues. Last time we talked about it, we touched on the choice of the judge to preside over the case . Other concerns, particularly the behavior of Justice Minister Rockefeller, have drawn criticism.
Rockefeller announced that the government would award anyone money who helped the police find suspect, Joseph Felix Badio, among other folks sought out for the murder of Jovenel Moise. In reality, the minister has no power to actually take such action and it has been condemned by human rights groups as meddling. Beyond that, some even question Badio's claimed law background because his behavior is so far from what is expected of a justice minister. It should be pointed out that Rockefeller who used to be a commissaire du gouvernement in the north was previously fired by then Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant in 2017 for lack of performance, only to be named Minister of Justice in 2020 by Jovenel Moise.
Ariel Henry has his own personal Badio related concerns on the investigation of Jovenel Moise’s murder. After the RNDHH report on the assassination claimed that he spoke to Badio before and after the assassination the night it happened. Since then, the commissaire du gouvernement has started looking into it, giving Digicel 48 hours to hand over the telephone records.
Kidnapping and insecurity continue
In the midst of post-earthquake efforts to help the Haitian people in the Southern Penninsula, the crisis of insecurity continues throughout the country, complicating these efforts. Earlier this week, the medical personnel of St. Antoine Hospital in the city of Jeremie held a march to protest the conditions of insecurity they have had to work in, as well as unacceptable working conditions and low pay. Dozens of medical personnel marched demanding that the state take measures to ensure their safety after the hospital was attacked by assailants, doctors and nurses beaten. JCOM, a local Jeremie media outlet published this video report on Monday, September 6th featuring members of the march describing the violence they have endured in the last 22 days, and demanding that a change be implemented in 72 hours before their movement enters "phase B."
There have also been reports of Mexican ships carrying aid to Haiti being attacked by armed gangs. And even while other major headlines grab our attention, kidnappings remain an issue in the country.
Exodus
As conditions worsen in the country, insecurity rising, fuel shortages, poor quality of life, the exodus of Haitan citizens continue to surge. This week, the Government of Mexico, through its National Institute of Migration announced that it has joined efforts with religious institutions to set up a "humanitarian camp" specifically for Haitian migrants in Mexico.
"Con estas acciones, además, se da cumplimiento al compromiso establecido en la Conferencia Nacional de Migración (CRM), el 25, 26 y 27 de agosto en la Ciudad de México, para buscar y establecer la coordinación de esfuerzos con organismos nacionales e internacionales que permita extender la ayuda humanitaria a las personas en contexto de movilidad que se encuentran en el estado de Chiapas y provienen de la nación haitiana." Source: Instituto Nacional de Migración
Mexican Catholic bishops responded to this announcement stating that the Mexican government's intention to build these camps were made without them.
The Pastoral Ministry for Human Mobility of the Mexican bishops’ conference said Sept. 2 that "the proposal for a 'humanitarian camp' is an initiative created by the Instituto Nacional de Migración itself," and that the bishops have not yet “agreed to or accepted it.” The bishops’ ministry to migrants “is concerned about the conditions in which migrants find themselves in Tapachula: overcrowding, the lack of security or work, which can lead to violations of these people’s human rights.” Source: Catholic News Agency
30 August Accord for a Haitian Solution
The Commission for a Haitian Solution to the present crisis proposes a framework for a transition and proposes a set of entities to address the institutional void that exists in the executive, legislative and judiciary. The accord has yet to be made available online but has been circulating in PDF form via email. Here is a brief summary of some of its contents:
1) An office of monitoring of the application of the accord (Bureau de Suivi (BS) de la mise en application de l’Accord)
2) A national council for transition (Conseil National de Transition) charged with choosing the transitional president and the head of the government (prime minister). The national council for transition is made up of representatives of different organisations that represent various sectors of Haitian society.
3) An entity to Control the transition phase (l’Organe de Contrôle de la Transition) that would be a check on executive power
The aim of this proposal, according to the document, is to create the conditions to bring stability to the country, back on track constitutionally and restore democratic order.
Within the first 30 days of being installed, the transitional government, which would have a two-year long term, is tasked with setting up three entities:
1) Le Bureau de la Conférence Nationale Souveraine to work on matters related to the constitution and Haiti’s political party system.
2) A commission responsible for working on voter identification and evaluating the integrity of the electoral system in general
3) A Truth and Justice Commission
De-facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry is also undergoing his own process of consultations with various parties and sectors in the aim of proposing an agreement for a way forward. Since coming to office, he has struggled to wield any real power, having failed to repeal any of Moise’s decrees and has been unable to dissolve the contested provisional electoral council, who recently published the list of approved parties for the elections. His lack of legitimacy has pushed him to seek support. That agreement is nearly signed.
Among those promoting the agreement with Henry are Andre Michel of Secteur Democratique et Populaire (SDP), who distanced himself from the Commission for a Haitian Solutions proposal after he was indeed consulted.
Let’s read!
Rutgers University Press is offering free ebooks on Haiti until September 30th in response to the earthquake that occurred in August 14th. There has been a call from Haiti academia to use this opportunity to truly understand Haiti. Without proper analysis of history and politics, it is easy to arrive at silly theories like Haiti being cursed, as opposed to a country whose economy has been intentionally brought to its knees. Check out the selection of books here!
RIP, Maestro
The Haitian Music Industry mourns the unfortunate loss of yet another pillar of Konpa music. Isnard Douby, trumpetist and maestro of System Band, passed away on September 9th at the age of 72.
