Garry Conille was sworn in as Haiti’s prime minister on Monday, pledging to “deliver” for the Caribbean nation as it faces severe security, humanitarian, and political crises.
Conille’s appointment by the transitional presidential council followed the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April amid escalating gang violence.
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Conille is now tasked with forming a government in consultation with the council, according to its head, Edgard Leblanc Fils.
“We are counting on Dr. Conille to implement the policies agreed with the presidential council to tackle insecurity, improve the economy, reform institutions, and conduct credible, democratic elections by the end of 2025,” Leblanc Fils said.
A medical doctor by training, Conille previously served as Haiti’s prime minister in 2011-2012 and was recently the regional director for UNICEF.
Conille faces the monumental task of addressing the crises plaguing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and paving the way for its first elections since 2016.
The mandate of the transitional presidential council is set to end by February 2026 at the latest.
Gang violence has long troubled Haiti, but in late February, armed groups launched coordinated attacks on strategic sites in Port-au-Prince, aiming to overthrow the unelected and unpopular Henry. Henry had been running the country as prime minister since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, and Haiti has not had a president since.
The violence is worsening food security and hindering humanitarian access, with much of the capital controlled by gangs accused of murder, rape, looting, and kidnappings.
Last year, a UN-backed security force led by Kenya was promised to support struggling Haitian police, but it has yet to be deployed.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the UN food agency reported “important progress” on Monday, with aid reaching the reopened international airport and food being distributed in the capital’s largest slum.
