In an interview with FRANCE 24, former Haitian prime minister Claude Joseph welcomed the UN Security Council's recent decision to transform the multinational police support mission into a more robust anti-gang force. "I believe it's a step in the right direction," he said. However, Joseph added that he remained "very sceptical", given the failure of the current Kenyan-led mission to restore order.
Read moreUN Security Council approves larger military force to tackle Haiti gangs
Asked about Haiti's political transition, Joseph stated that the Presidential Council has "failed in its mission" and "will not be able to hold elections before February 7, 2026."
The transitional governance arrangements agreed in March 2024 foresaw the transfer of authority to elected officials by February 7, 2026.
Joseph insisted that Haitians "can come together" and called for a "new transitional formula" with "one president chosen based on consensus and a prime minister" to avoid prolonging the current Council.
"February 7, 2026 could be not the end of the transition, but the beginning of a new descent into the unknown," he warned. "Therefore, we need to work together to avoid this."
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