Haiti’s Presidential Council Dissolves as Prime Minister Stays On Amid Security Crisis and Election Uncertainty

BY Rosemary

Haiti’s presidential council formally stepped down on Saturday, ending nearly two years of turbulent governance alongside a U.S.-backed prime minister who is expected to remain in office as the country struggles to restore security and prepare for its first general elections in a decade.

The dissolution of the nine-member council comes at a moment of heightened tension and international scrutiny. Days earlier, the United States deployed a naval warship and two Coast Guard vessels to waters near Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs are estimated to control roughly 90% of the capital. The show of force underscored Washington’s growing concern over Haiti’s political instability and spiraling violence.

“The naval presence appears to provide the latest proof of Washington’s willingness to use the threat of force to shape politics in the Western Hemisphere,” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

The council’s exit followed weeks of infighting that further exposed fractures at the top of Haiti’s fragile transitional government. In late January, two of the council’s most influential members announced that a majority had voted to remove Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, directly defying U.S. calls to preserve political continuity amid the security emergency. The effort to oust the prime minister was never publicly explained.

Within days, the United States announced visa revocations for four unnamed council members and a Cabinet minister, a move widely interpreted as a warning against actions seen as destabilizing. The council’s plan to dismiss Fils-Aimé appeared to collapse as those pressures mounted, and the body instead proceeded toward its own dissolution.

At an official ceremony on Saturday, outgoing council president Laurent Saint-Cyr called for unity and urged political leaders to set aside personal interests. He rejected the earlier push to dismiss the prime minister, arguing that the country’s priority must remain security and the conditions necessary to hold elections.

Fils-Aimé initially spoke only briefly, saying he would address the nation later in the day. He later followed through, delivering a nationally broadcast speech in which he laid out an ambitious agenda while acknowledging the scale of the challenge ahead.

In a rare prime-time address for a Haitian leader, Fils-Aimé pledged to restore security, organize elections and launch an emergency humanitarian plan to provide food, medical care and shelter to the most vulnerable. Standing alongside senior police and military officials, he emphasized the urgency of action as violence continues to devastate daily life.

“The suffering of the population demands immediate action,” he said, calling on Haitians to unite. He vowed to confront the gangs that have paralyzed much of the country, promising that armed groups and their backers would be pursued relentlessly and that territory seized by criminals would be reclaimed.

United Nations figures show that more than 8,100 people were killed nationwide between January and November last year, a toll the organization says is likely undercounted in a country of nearly 11 million people. Kidnappings, sexual violence and mass displacement have become routine as gangs expand their reach beyond the capital.

Despite his forceful rhetoric, Fils-Aimé struck a sober tone about the road ahead. He described Haiti as standing at a dangerous crossroads and cautioned that progress would be difficult. “The coming days will be demanding,” he said. “I don’t promise miracles.”

Questions remain about what political structure, if any, will replace the dissolved council. Da Rin said negotiations are continuing as preparations move forward to reshape a multinational security mission into a more robust force. The current international deployment, backed by the United Nations and led by Kenyan police, has been hampered by staffing shortages and limited funding.

“Clarity on who will govern Haiti is essential,” Da Rin wrote recently. “Countries contributing to this force will want to know they are working alongside a government whose legitimacy is undisputed.”

Saturday also carried symbolic weight in Haiti’s history. Feb. 7 traditionally marks the swearing-in of presidents and commemorates the return to democratic rule after nearly three decades of dictatorship. Yet the country again failed to hold general elections, as gang violence continues to grip large parts of Port-au-Prince and swaths of the central region. Tentative election dates have been floated for August and December, but many observers doubt that a vote and a potential runoff can realistically take place this year.

The presidential council was created in April 2024, almost three years after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his private residence, a killing that plunged Haiti into deep political and social turmoil. At the time, then–Prime Minister Ariel Henry was unable to return to the country after an official trip to Kenya, as a powerful gang coalition attacked critical infrastructure and forced the closure of Haiti’s main international airport for nearly three months.

Caribbean leaders and U.S. officials convened emergency talks in Jamaica, ultimately brokering a framework for a political transition that led to Henry’s resignation and the formation of the council. Its members pledged to curb gang violence, stabilize the economy and guide the country toward elections.

Those promises went largely unmet. Armed groups tightened their grip on the capital and expanded into new territories, while the humanitarian crisis worsened. The council was also shaken by allegations of corruption, including accusations by a government agency in late 2024 that three members had accepted bribes.

As the council formally stepped aside, scenes outside government offices reflected public frustration. André Joseph, a 42-year-old street vendor selling candy nearby, celebrated the announcement. Displaced from his home by violence, he now lives in a makeshift shelter, one of an estimated 1.4 million Haitians forced to flee by gang activity.

“Their time is up,” Joseph said. “They were there nearly two years and didn’t do anything for the country. Haiti needs to move on with a better government in charge that can lead the country in a better direction.”

Whether the departure of the presidential council will mark a turning point or deepen uncertainty remains unclear, as Haiti confronts the intertwined challenges of restoring security, rebuilding legitimacy and delivering long-delayed elections.