Haiti ready 'to turn a decisive page in its history': Interim premier

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Haitian Interim Prime Minister Garry Conille said Wednesday that the country will make progress toward peace, stability and prosperity while overcoming adversities.

"Despite years of bitter struggle and unshakable resilience, our people continue to fight for a better future. Haiti, rooted in a history of courage and freedom, is ready to turn a decisive page in its history," Conille said at a Security Council meeting.

Conille was named interim prime minister by a transition council with a mandate to restore stability and take control as the Caribbean nation battles a humanitarian crisis fueled by armed gangs.

He thanked members of the Council for their "valuable contributions" to stabilization and progress in Haiti.

"Haiti continues to call on the solidarity in order to emerge from the crisis that has plagued it for several decades and to succeed in its transition -- the duration and mission of which are very limited every day, must be used wisely," he said.

Stressing that any support by international partners must take into account the vision of the transition government, he added: "So that Haiti never reverts to chaos."

"More than ever, Haiti must mobilize all the necessary and available resources to make this transition the last one -- a transition that could set it on the path toward peace, security and sustainable development," he said.

Conille said his leadership is committed to holding "transparent and participatory" elections that will contribute to political and institutional stability.

"It's a time of rebirth for Haiti, marked not only by the desire to overcome adversity, but also concrete actions that illustrate our commitment to lasting peace and development," he said, as he urged the international community to support the momentum by cooperating in a "constructive and respectful" way to support Haiti on the path of recovery and renewal.

Political deadlock and surging gang violence escalated in Haiti after President Jovenel Moise's assassination in 2021.

Thousands have been killed in the conflict while hundreds of thousands have fled the country.​​​​​​