Why did February 7 crystallize tensions in Haiti?
In an agreement signed on December 21, 2022, Ariel Henry committed to beginning a transition process after elections which should have taken place last year, and to leaving power on February 7, 2024.
But for several weeks, the government has made it clear that its interim mandate would continue. Until when ? No one knows. During an interview with RFI, Emmelie Prophète-Milcé, Minister of Justice and Public Security, considered that the law did not set an end to the mandate of the Prime Minister who wished to form a large government of national unity.
The opposition, as divided as it is, is at least in agreement on one point: Ariel Henry must keep his word and leave power this Wednesday.
To increase the pressure, political parties and unions are organizing demonstrations across the country. Guy Philippe, a former putschist, convicted in the United States, openly calls on the population, the police and the army to insurrection. He is supported by the BSAP, a brigade created to protect forests, but which has over the years transformed into an armed militia, of which no one knows how many men it has in its ranks.
Ariel Henry, if he is contested internally, can however count on essential support for his maintenance in power: that of donors such as the United States and France.