Haiti PM rejects gang negotiations, intensifies security ahead of 2026 vote

Haiti Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has ruled out any negotiations with criminal gangs, insisting the state will take a hard line against armed groups seeking to destabilize Haiti’s provisional government.

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Speaking during a visit to the headquarters of the Haitian National Police (PNH) in Clercine, near Port-au-Prince’s international airport, Fils-Aimé said the government’s priority is restoring security and public order. The area has been heavily affected by gang activity.

“The state will not compromise. The state will not negotiate with criminals,” the prime minister said, underscoring what authorities described as a renewed commitment to reassert republican authority nationwide.

The visit formed part of a broader mobilisation of Haiti’s security forces, including the PNH, the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H), and the Gang Suppression Force (FRG), which are jointly engaged in operations against armed groups threatening national security. Fils-Aimé was accompanied by senior government and security officials, including Justice and Public Security Minister Patrick Pélissier and Secretary of State for Public Security Mario Andrésol.

During the visit, the prime minister also expressed gratitude to the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) for the donation of 25 armoured personnel carriers. He said the equipment would strengthen operational capacity, protect deployed units, and help law enforcement gradually retake territory controlled by armed groups.

Fils-Aimé reiterated that restoring security is a prerequisite for Haiti’s political recovery, saying the government intends to focus 2026 on organizing general elections and renewing constitutional institutions.

Haiti continues to face a deepening crisis marked by widespread gang violence, political instability, and humanitarian distress. Armed groups have used sexual violence to terrorize communities, disrupted food supplies, driven mass displacement, and complicated humanitarian relief efforts. More than 362,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to international estimates.

United Nations officials have repeatedly warned that security measures alone will not be sufficient, stressing the need for political solutions, credible elections, and sustained economic support to achieve long-term stability.

In his year-end message, outgoing Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chairman and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the 15-member regional bloc has maintained steady advocacy for increased international support for Haiti. He noted that these efforts helped keep Haiti on the global agenda and contributed to a United Nations Security Council resolution establishing a Gang Suppression Force with partial UN backing.

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Holness added that Caricom is now a key partner in coordinating the Organization of American States roadmap toward stability and peace in Haiti, expressing cautious optimism about preparations for free and fair elections in 2026.