The current situation is marked by two types of climate: a natural climate and a political climate.
The natural climate can be described in two forms: a rainy period and a storm in the making. On the other hand, the political climate balances between insecurity and elections.
Lucky Rains
After about five months of drought, the agricultural sector suffered serious losses: it was impossible to grow anything, there was a scarcity of pasture for livestock, and the drying up of a large majority of wells. Famine was not far away. Suddenly, a few rains arrived. With what joy and eagerness the farmers took back their agricultural tools, hoes, picks, ploughs, everything was put to work to turn the land and sow. Some did not even wait for the plough. They practiced the "zero plough" system to do it faster and not miss the season. The short-cycle plants did not take long to emerge from the ground.
An Unlucky Storm
Suddenly, to the great surprise! The weather captain announces bad weather. A tropical wave is sweeping through the Caribbean and is affecting a large part of the country. The South, as usual, is the obligatory passage for these storms. The population has suffered four days of continuous heavy rain. Gardens have passed. Animals are missing. People are displaced. The gardens that are spared find themselves with a strong growth of wild grasses that suffocate the plants. Betting on the improvement that is emerging, the farmers are investing in weeding.
Insecurity, the Hit of the Media Agenda.
We have to go back to 2021 to remember the beginnings of the insecurity situation when we were already talking about lost territory. Since then, not a day goes by without the media describing barbaric scenes concocted by the gangs under the "complicit" gaze of the leaders in Port-au-Prince. They did it neighborhood by neighborhood to finally cut off the capital from the provinces. Recently, they have invaded many municipalities in the department of Artibonite. At the same time, they ransacked the commune of Kenscoff: looting, kidnappings, mass killings, burning of houses... This is really the manifestation of the forces of evil, of Moloch.
On the other hand, the police and the army are trying, as far as they can, to put out some of the fires. But the insecurity situation has worsened to such an extent that the government, limited in its competence and creativity, has preferred to call on foreign mercenaries on the one hand, and the United Nations on the other.
The mercenaries, led by Mr. Erick Prince, landed in Port-au-Prince at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Didier Fisémé, who apparently makes it a personal matter of protection according to his own views. There is no transparency on the contract that is signed. The problem is that, in all these months of presence in the territory, no change is visible in the field of security.
In the meantime, there is the presence of the United Nations security forces who walk around like tourists. The Kenyans came. They left as they came. New contingents arrived with a new, more warlike name: Gang Suppression Force. Insecurity is taking hold once again. It took a gang to murder four Salvadoran soldiers to witness the reaction of President Bukele who wants to avenge his fellow citizens. The liberation of the Haitian people from these gangs is not for tomorrow. The government has another concern.
Elections at All Costs
Despite the disastrous situation in which insecurity has plunged the country, the government sees no other alternative than to enter the electoral arena. Worse still, the politicians are asking for nothing else. They are already complaining that they will have all the difficulties in the world to campaign in certain departments, in the West and the Artibonite in particular. But they swear by the elections. Is there a program? After the elections, they will debate it.
National Dialogue, the Challenge of the Hour
To get out of this spiral of crises, a national dialogue between the sons and daughters of the nation is essential. It is this space that would bring together all those who, driven by good will, want to contribute to the refoundation of Haitian society.
This dialogue can be held around the major challenges of the moment, the paths for the future and the milestones for the gathering of the creative forces of a Haiti evolving according to a new inclusive and participatory political system that takes into account the culture and identity of the Haitian people.
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