The only real chance to end the chaos in Haiti

{"text":[[{"start":9.17,"text":"Haiti’s collapse into anarchy and gang violence has exacted a terrible human price. "},{"start":14.012,"text":"Almost half the Caribbean nation’s population is suffering acute hunger, thousands are homeless and life expectancy at birth has sunk to 63 years. "},{"start":22.003999999999998,"text":"How did a country less than 800 miles from Florida turn into a failed state and what can be done to restore a functioning government? "}],[{"start":28.840000000000003,"text":"Haiti’s history of crisis is long and complex but the still-unsolved assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 detonated the latest episode. "},{"start":37.407000000000004,"text":"A caretaker prime minister backed by the international community, Ariel Henry, proved unable to govern and unwilling to hold elections. "},{"start":44.524,"text":"Tens of thousands of Haitians voted with their feet, emigrating to the US or elsewhere in Latin America. "},{"start":50.167,"text":"The country’s institutions largely ceased to function. "},{"start":53.184000000000005,"text":"No democratically elected representatives remain. "},{"start":56.139,"text":"Drug traffickers and arms dealers profited from the chaos. "}],[{"start":60.43000000000001,"text":"The international community has not ignored Haiti’s plight. "},{"start":63.72200000000001,"text":"The US and the Caribbean grouping Caricom have tried to broker a new government and muster a multinational security force to restore order. "},{"start":70.864,"text":"The spectre of previous failed foreign interventions in Haiti over the past 30 years — two by the US and two by the UN — complicated their task: few governments want to risk their reputations in the quagmire. "},{"start":81.694,"text":"Latin American governments have been conspicuous by their absence. "}],[{"start":86.02000000000001,"text":"A glimmer of hope emerged this month, when the US and Caricom secured agreement from Henry to cede power to a seven-member transitional council drawn from politics, civil society and business. "},{"start":96.52400000000002,"text":"The council would appoint an interim government with a mandate to hold elections as soon as practicable. "},{"start":101.44200000000001,"text":"A Kenyan-led security force would provide much-needed support to Haiti’s outnumbered, outgunned and demoralised police. "},{"start":107.647,"text":"The US pledged $300mn to underwrite the cost. "}],[{"start":112.09,"text":"But as the international discussions on Haiti inched forward, the gangs were creating facts on the ground. "},{"start":117.58200000000001,"text":"This month they seized the opportunity afforded by Henry’s absence in Kenya discussing the security force to unite, break open jails, attack the airport and terrorise the population. "}],[{"start":128.18,"text":"The gangs have metastasised in recent years from private militia operating on behalf of political barons to more independent forces harbouring political aspirations. "},{"start":136.822,"text":"Gang leaders like ex-police officer Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier have exploited Haitians’ revulsion at the venality of the country’s elite to present themselves as alternative leaders. "}],[{"start":146.22,"text":"Unsurprisingly, the gangs reject the transition council plan and have threatened those who take part: their interest is in growing their own power and continuing their trade in drugs, arms, kidnapping and extortion. "}],[{"start":158.1,"text":"If the transitional council can start work — an uncertain prospect amid death threats against its nominees and constant substitutions of names — and the Kenyan-led security force can be deployed quickly to support it, Haiti has a chance of securing a functioning government. "},{"start":171.892,"text":"But those are big “ifs”. "}],[{"start":174.32999999999998,"text":"There are concerns the international police force is not large or strong enough to restore order. "},{"start":179.44699999999997,"text":"There are also worries over the transitional council’s ability to reach consensus and its legitimacy is open to question, since its members are largely drawn from the country’s discredited elite. "}],[{"start":189.76999999999998,"text":"Yet the reality is that the US-Caricom plan is the only one on the table, with no obvious alternatives. "},{"start":195.77399999999997,"text":"Increasing the muscle of the international security force and deploying it as quickly as possible would give the Haitian-led political process at least a fighting chance. "},{"start":203.57899999999998,"text":"The alternative is Somalia in the Caribbean. "}],[{"start":206.10999999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://creatives.ftacademy.cn/album/148045-1711507875.mp3"}