Currently, Haiti and its people are in all aspects of humanitarian, political, economic, and security affairs.crisisThe country is exposed to With political instability and a breakdown in state governance, gangs and vigilante groups are on the rise and have taken over large parts of the country's capital. There is also a food crisis due to a combination of factors. How in the world did this happen? The background is the complicated history that Haiti has been going through. In this article, we will focus on this background and examine the issues facing Haiti today.

A woman waiting for a supply of food (United Nations Photo / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

Haiti Historical Background

Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea,Dominican RepublicIt is a country that makes up the island of Ispaniola, together with The population is10 millionIt is about the same size and has its capital in Port-au-Prince.

From here, let's look at the history that Haiti has gone through. The island of Ispaniola in Haiti was originally inhabited by indigenous people called Taino. Later, however, France forced many slaves from Africa to migrate there, and their descendants constitute the majority of Haiti's population. Thus, Haiti became a French colony, where sugarcane plantations and other activities were carried out, and most of the profits continued to be exploited by France. After a long period of French brutality, the slaves, unable to bear it any longer, were forced to leave the country.1804The uprising in 1949 won the country its independence. Haiti became the first modern nation in the world to gain independence as a republic with a black majority. However, this independence was not a simple process. The main reason for this was the huge reparations paid to France as "compensation" for the loss of slaves at the time of independence. In today's value, it is estimated to be aboutUS$22 billionThe payment of this compensation, which amounts to as much as1825What a year!120It has lasted for two years and has naturally put pressure on the Haitian economy.

thereafter1915In 1964, the assassination of the then president led to the intervention of the U.S. military in Haiti, and since then1934Up to the year19Haiti for a year.occupationThe U.S. also took a number of actions against the Haitian people during this period. During this period, the U.S. ruled discriminatorily against the Haitian people, and also used forced labor and press censorship tocontrolThe Haitian peasants, on the other hand, were not so sure. In response, Haitian farmers1920Around 1949, he started rebellions in various parts of the country.9After a year-long uprising, the U.S. military finally began withdrawing from Haiti,1934In 1949, it withdrew completely. However, ties with the U.S. remained unbroken, and the U.S. would continue to have a strong influence over Haiti from this point forward.

Afterwards,1957Since the year1986It was a dictatorship that held power in Haiti until 1949,President François Duvalier(a.k.a. Papa Doc) and his son, Jean=They were father and son of President Claude Duvalier (aka Baby Doc). His father, President François Duvalier, was popular with the masses.1957He became president in 1949, but then changed direction to repressive politics. First, he took the popular name ofTong Tong Makut.The government organized a secret police force called the "National Security Volunteer Corps" (NSCV). This organization was officially named the "National Security Volunteer Corps (VNSThe members of the group were armed and robbed small farmers of their land.Looting and crimerepeatedly to earn a living, causing great fear among the people of the time. Peasants, deprived of their land and with nowhere else to go, flowed to the capital's slums in search of income, and soon the slums were overflowing with people, and starvation and malnutrition spread.conditionIn contrast, the main players in the "Tongtong Makut" were lining their pockets with confiscated land and government grants. In contrast, the main players in the "Tonton Makut" were lining their pockets with confiscated land and state subsidies. At the direction of the state and the regime, they imprisoned leading newspaper and radio journalists on charges of incitement,regulation of freedom of speechThe dictatorship was ensured by the amendment of the Constitution to make himself president for life. Furthermore, President François Duvalier himself had amended the constitution and made himself president for life, thereby ensuring his dictatorship.

Such is the case with "Papa Doc".1971He passed away in 1949 and was succeeded by then19His son, who is as young as 5 years old,Jean-Claude DuvalierMr. Kosaka, who also took over the dictatorship left by his father. He, too, inherited his father's dictatorship and formed a regime that was repressive and rife with corruption and fraud. But such regimes do not last forever,1985In 1964, people in various parts of the country rose up in violent opposition to the Duvalier administration, and the United States, which had long supported the Duvalier administration, pressured Mr. Duvalier to relinquish power under Ronald Reagan's administration. Undeterred by pressure from all sides, "Baby Doc",1986He fled to France in 1949, bringing to an end a dictatorship that had lasted for two generations, father and son. At the same time, the authoritarian political regime that had long plagued Haiti came to an end. And1987A new constitution was passed in 1949, and since then Haiti has transitioned to a democratic state based on the new constitution.

President Jean-Claude Duvalier (volcaniapôle / Wikimedia commons [CC BY-SA 4.0])

Unstable situation in Haiti

However, the transition under the new constitution still did not bring peace to Haiti. In the years following the installation of the new constitution, there was a series of coups d'etat and military regimes. This situation was resolved,1991He became president inJean-Bertrand AristideMr. M. M. H. H. H. For more information on his presidency,GNV(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusionPast Articlesand will be briefly introduced here. He was the first democratically elected president after the new constitution was passed,1991years and ...2000He has been elected president twice, in 1964 and was ousted twice during each term in office, both times due to coups in Haiti.2004Aristide was deported and ousted in 2006, but the coup was deeply influenced by the United States, France, and Canada.Involved.In addition, during his administration, the growth of Haitian industry was greatly hampered by the United States, and theaffectcontinues to this day. For example, the Haitian rice industry collapsed as a result of the massive importation of very inexpensive rice from the U.S. at that time, and even today the country relies on imports for the majority of its rice.

President Aristide is.1994years and ...2004He was ousted twice by coups d'état in 1949, both afterUN peacekeeping forces(in Japanese history)peacekeeping operations) is coming to Haiti. Notable,2004After being expelled for the second time in 2006.peacekeeping operationsAt the At this time, the United NationsHaiti Stabilization MissionAs an activity of thepeacekeeping operationswere coming. They were2017Up to the year13He lived in Haiti for two years and worked in Haiti's security and2010The company was involved in rescue and recovery efforts during the major earthquake in 2006, which also had a considerable negative impact on Haiti.peacekeeping operationsNumerous sexual assaults by members of thedetectionAnd so on,2010In 1949, it became clear that cholera had been brought in by the members of the team,More than 10,000The first time the earthquake struck, it caused the deaths of more than 1,000 people.

Also,2010counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)1The major earthquake that occurred in March also contributed to the current unstable situation in Haiti. Magnitude.7.0The impact on Haiti of a major earthquake called theseriousIn,20More than 10,000 people died,30More than 10,000 people were injured. In addition, of the buildings in the capital70%collapsed in an instant. The earthquake literally crippled all of Haiti's cities, especially the capital, including schools, hospitals, the National Assembly building, and even the prime minister's office. In addition, the economic impact of the earthquake on Haiti was substantial. Landslides caused by the earthquake and other factors dealt a heavy blow to the agricultural industry, not only disrupting domestic distribution of agricultural products, but also making it impossible to export products outside of the country.situationThe first time this happened was in 1983, when the company was founded.

Armed PKO soldiers (BBC World Service / Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0])

And,2017The economic crisis in Venezuela in 2006 also severely damaged Haiti. Originally, Haiti received oil supplies from Venezuela in the form ofeconomic assistancereceived. However, Venezuela's economy has2017in the yearlimitThe support stopped when the oil price reached $3.5 trillion, causing economic turmoil in Haiti. Oil and electricity supplies became scarce, and extreme inflation ensued. In addition, then President Moise2019In 1949, the operating fund for the oil supply was managed by the Central Bank of Haiti.8,000He is alleged to have engaged in corruption and malfeasance, including the transfer of US$10,000,000 to his own account. In the midst of all this chaos,International Monetary Fund (IMF)Under the initiative, the Haitian government has reduced subsidies on fuel and significantly reduced fuel prices.liftedHowever, this resulted in a worsening of the situation. The situation was met with violent opposition from the people, and demonstrations erupted.

The event further added to the turmoil in Haiti,2021counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)7In May, then-President Jovenel Moise was assassinated.incidentThe case is. The incident was caused by a group of mercenaries from Colombia, whomastermindIt is not yet known about the Also, it is not known whether the president's bodyguards at the time of the assassinationresistanceThe case remains a mystery, as it is said that there was no This incident has caused a hollowing out of power due to the absence of the head of state. This in turn has caused further turmoil in Haiti.

The assassinated President Moise (Comision Interamericana de Derechos Humanos's photostream / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

Haiti Today: Gangs on the Rise

After the assassination of President Moïse, the country was headed by Ariel Henry, who became prime minister after his assassination. He was appointed prime minister by the assassinated President Moise, but there are several questionable points about him as well. First, he is suspected of involvement in the assassination of the former president. Mr. Henri was present at several events, including the morning of the day of the presidential assassination.12 timesalso had a phone call with the alleged main suspect in the case, and on the morning of the day7Phone records reveal that he was on the phone for nearly two minutes. Although he claims he does not remember the content of those calls, he remains under suspicion. Second, he was not elected through a formal procedure. In fact, no elections or parliamentary session was held when he took office, and he was appointed prime minister by former President Moise. Also, the U.S. and Canada, which should have had no authority over Haiti's domestic governance, similarly nominated him to run their subsequent administrationsShe urged.It is believed that this is the case. Besides, the sudden dissolution of the electoral council after the prime minister's inauguration made the conduct of the next electionpostponementThe election of the prime minister has been held in the past, and it is unclear when the next election will be held. And the constitutional provision stipulates that the prime minister must be elected. This means that he has no constitutional authority. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Mr. Henri has no legitimacy, and the country is without a legitimate authority, resulting in a hollowing out of power.

In response to this situation in Haiti, civil society organizations and many political parties are working together toMontana AccordA coalition of organizations called the "United Groups" has been set up. They challenge the Henri regime, work for the realization of a democratic government and state by its own citizens, and continue to negotiate with the Henri regime's side.

In the absence of a legitimate government, gangs and vigilantes have assumed substantial power in Haiti, as described in the introduction. Gangs have taken over most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as surrounding cities, and have terrorized people's social lives with gun battles, acts of violence, and kidnappings throughout the country. In fact, in the capitalApprox. 20,000Some people have been forced to flee their homes and live in displacement. There are also gangs that have taken over courthouses. They have occupied the courthouse building twice.destructionThey are also trying to keep the country's judicial system from collapsing and bringing their own wrongdoings to justice.

Densely populated Haitian housing (Comision Interamericana de Derechos Humanos's photostream / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

The origin of such tyrannical gangs,1959Military organization founded by President François Duvalier in 1949.National Security Volunteer Service (VNS)They were. They were formed as a secret police force during the regime of Duvalier and his father and son, although during that time they ran rampant in the city,1986It was dissolved with the ouster of the Duvalier government in 1949. After that1995When President Aristide disbanded the Haitian army in 1949, they regrouped as a gang, and since then they have been working with politicians for electoral and political gain and other purposes.linkand grew in power.

The most notable of these gang members are,G9who is the leader of theJimmy "Barbecue" Sheridier.Mr.. He is a former police officer,2018in the year71to the great event of the Lasserine Massacre, a massacre of people.Involved.The name of the company became known throughout the world at once as After that,2021He formed the company in 1949.G9It is.G9and the capital city of Port-au-Prince.9The two gangs were integrated by Mr. Sheridier into this organization. In addition, during President Moise's administration, he received government assistance in the form of funds, weapons, vehicles, andclearHe was closely connected to the government, becoming After the death of President Moïse, he found himself in a position to fight the Haitian political elite and change the status quo of inequality by the state.revolutionaryand occupies Port-au-Prince and surrounding cities, and controls many of Haiti's cities. Against such Mr. Schlizier,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)10In May, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to freeze his assets and ban him from leaving the country.sanctionsThe decision was made to give the

However, the impact of these armed groups on Haiti is not only negative. For example, some groups, known as gangs, do not engage in evil deeds, but rather protect their communities by taking on the role of vigilantes in the absence of government rule. Also.G9As for the "Mere Old Man," their formation reduced the number of conflicts between armed groups, as well as the cease-fire between rival groups. And after the ceasefire, the number of homicidesdecreaseThe trend was also observed that the number of respondents who had

Future Outlook

The Montana Accord aims to transition from the Henri administration to a new democratic government1It has been active for more than two years,2022In the beginning of 2006, he had been in discussions with Henri's side of the government for several months regarding the retention of power. However2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)9In April, the government decided to eliminate subsidies on gasoline and kerosene due to the country's fiscal difficulties.announcementThe company has done so. This resulted in domestic fuel prices being2This would mean a more than doubling of the number of people who would be affected. Citizens advocating the Montana Accord vehemently objected to this, leading to the collapse of negotiations that had been underway between the government and the Montana Accord.

In addition, protests against the government, which had originally occurred sporadically, became even more radicalized, with the most recentG9Ha,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)9from month to month11Approximately of the month2For months, they occupied the country's main fuel terminals as a protest. This caused a catastrophic shortage of diesel and gasoline in the country, forcing many hospitals and businesses to closesituationThe occupation became a This occupation was2months, but it is a testament to the intensity of the domestic backlash.

Armed police officers (Comision Interamericana de Derechos Humanos's photostream / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

This backlash,2022counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)10The Moon government finally decided to ask other countries to intervene militarily.official decisionThe United Nations, the United States, and Canada moved quickly. The United Nations, the United States, and Canada moved immediately. The UN Secretary General and the US government requested a meeting of the UN Security Council to seek approval for military intervention. Specifically, that military units from several countries be sent instead of a UN peacekeeping force.suggestionThe United States also sent its own diplomats and military officials to Haiti for an emergency meeting. The United States also sent its own diplomats and military officials to Haiti for an emergency meeting, and that U.S. Coast Guard ships cruised the waters around Haiti.announcementThe U.S. also showed signs of moving toward intervention. In addition, the U.S. has asked Canada to take the lead in military intervention, and Canada has begun to consider the possibility of such intervention.It's on the move.The following is a list of the most common problems with the

However, this request only added fuel to the fire of the domestic situation. In Port-au-Prince, memories of past failed military interventions, dubious speculation, and the negative effects on the Haitian people have led many citizens to demonstrate massively against any intervention by other countries, and police authorities have responded with tear gas and gunfire.situationThe "Montana Accord" was also the subject of a statement of opposition to the intervention. In addition, civil society organizations and others on the side of the Montana Accord advocates also made statements opposing the intervention.announcementMany people in Haiti are opposed to the project, and the future of the project will be closely watched.

Haiti's Future

Until now, there have been numerous military interventions by other countries in Haiti, but none of them can be said to have resulted in an improvement of the situation, but rather in a long-term worsening of the situation. It is not surprising to find that the interests of those intervening have been prioritized. It is no exaggeration to say that not only have the interests of the Haitian people not been taken into account, but democracy itself is under threat, as the U.S. and Canada have encouraged the coup d'etat and the appointment of current Prime Minister Henri as prime minister, ignoring democratic procedures.

Even now, new military intervention is being suggested, but it is easy to imagine that if this is not done, the same result will be repeated once again. Once again, it would be wise to rebuild the government from scratch and create a democratic government without resorting to military intervention. The Montana Accord is moving toward the realization of such a democratic state, despite the current large presence of gangs and other armed groups. Of course, there are restrictions on the influence of the Montana Accord, and there are still many problems to be solved. However, starting from this point and building a democratic state over a long period of time would be the first step toward improving the current situation.

Writer:Yudai Sekiguchi

Graphic:Yudai Sekiguchi

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