Alix Didier Fils-Aime, a businessman, became Haiti's new Prime Minister on Monday (Nov 11), taking the reins in a nation rocked by lawlessness and political discord. His swearing-in coincided with a startling episode of violence—a Spirit Airlines passenger jet attempting to land in Port-au-Prince came under gunfire, forcing it to divert to the Dominican Republic.

<h2>“Lots of work to do”: New Haiti PM</h2>

“We have a transition with lots of work to do: the first essential job, which is a condition for success, is restoring security,” said Fils-Aime in his first remarks.

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His predecessor, Garry Conille, was appointed in May, but just five months into his term he was dismissed by the transitional council — a body thrust into power after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, which left the country without a sitting parliament or leader — following an extended power struggle.

The new Haiti PM said he was aware of the nation's “difficult circumstances” and promised to put “all of my energy, my skills, and my patriotism at the service of the national cause.”

<h2>Drama in the skies</h2>

Fils-Aime's ascent to power comes as a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire on Monday.

While all passengers escaped unharm, a flight attendant sustained minor injuries.

The low-cost carrier said an inspection of Flight 951 revealed bullet damage. The images of bullet-riddled walls inside the cabin rapidly circulated online. While it reviews the security risks, Spirit Airlines has announced a pause of its flights to Haiti.

Meanwhile, the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince has grounded all commercial flights in response to the shooting, according to the Miami Herald.

Also read | <a class="WlydOe" data-sb="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/haitian-pm-garry-conille-narrowly-escapes-gang-attack-in-capital-port-au-prince-745398&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiT2fHw5dWJAxWwRmwGHSdZHl8QxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE&amp;usg=AOvVaw1WEyyBzVNin6rla0X9Hkb4" data-ved="2ahUKEwiT2fHw5dWJAxWwRmwGHSdZHl8QxfQBKAB6BAgSEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/haitian-pm-garry-conille-narrowly-escapes-gang-attack-in-capital-port-au-prince-745398" jsname="YKoRaf">Haiti PM Garry Conille narrowly escapes gang attack in capital Port-au-Prince</a> 

American Airlines has also halted its flights from Miami to the Haitian capital until Thursday.

“Strongly” condemning the recent attack, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group representing airlines, said there was an “urgent need for robust security measures to protect air operations.”

Amid soaring violence in the country, a recent United Nations report estimates that over 1,200 Haitians were killed in just three months (from July to September), with a growing wave of kidnappings and abuse directed at women and girls.

(With inputs from agencies)

Alix Didier Fils-Aime, a businessman, became Haiti's new Prime Minister on Monday (Nov 11), taking the reins in a nation rocked by lawlessness and political discord.

Alix Didier Fils-Aime, a businessman, became Haiti's new Prime Minister on Monday (Nov 11), taking the reins in a nation rocked by lawlessness and political discord. His swearing-in coincided with a startling episode of violence—a Spirit Airlines passenger jet attempting to land in Port-au-Prince came under gunfire, forcing it to divert to the Dominican Republic. “Lots of work to do”: New Haiti PM “We have a transition with lots of work to do: the first essential job, which is a condition for success, is restoring security,” said Fils-Aime in his first remarks. Also read | US women begin ‘MATGA’ movement after Trump’s victory, fantasise poisoning men His predecessor, Garry Conille, was appointed in May, but just five months into his term he was dismissed by the transitional council — a body thrust into power after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, which left the country without a sitting parliament or leader — following an extended power struggle. The new Haiti PM said he was aware of the nation's “difficult circumstances” and promised to put “all of my energy, my skills, and my patriotism at the service of the national cause.” Drama in the skies Fils-Aime's ascent to power comes as a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire on Monday. While all passengers escaped unharm, a flight attendant sustained minor injuries. The low-cost carrier said an inspection of Flight 951 revealed bullet damage. The images of bullet-riddled walls inside the cabin rapidly circulated online. While it reviews the security risks, Spirit Airlines has announced a pause of its flights to Haiti. Meanwhile, the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince has grounded all commercial flights in response to the shooting, according to the Miami Herald. Also read | Haiti PM Garry Conille narrowly escapes gang attack in capital Port-au-Prince American Airlines has also halted its flights from Miami to the Haitian capital until Thursday. “Strongly” condemning the recent attack, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group representing airlines, said there was an “urgent need for robust security measures to protect air operations.” Amid soaring violence in the country, a recent United Nations report estimates that over 1,200 Haitians were killed in just three months (from July to September), with a growing wave of kidnappings and abuse directed at women and girls. (With inputs from agencies)

Haiti's new PM sworn in as passenger jet comes under fire in Port-au-Prince

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille embarked on a trip to the United Arab Emirates and Kenya on Saturday to seek security assistance in the aftermath of one of deadliest gang attacks in the Caribbean nation in recent years.

Haiti is reeling after members of the Gran Grif gang stormed through the town of Pont-Sonde in the western Artibonite region early on Thursday, killing at least 70 people, including infants, and forcing over 6,000 residents to flee.

The massacre caused widespread shock even in a country that has grown accustomed to outbreaks of violence, and where the national police force is outgunned and understaffed.

"As you can see, we are being attacked on several fronts," Conille said in a press conference before the trip.

Last week, the UN&nbsp;Security Council authorized for another year an international security force that is intended to help local police fight gangs and provide law and order.

So far, the mission has made little progress helping Haiti restore order with only about 400 mostly Kenyan police officers on the ground.

"One of the aims of this trip is to go to Kenya to discuss with President Ruto how we can speed up the deployment of remnants of the Kenyan troops as quickly as possible to continue supporting the national police force," Conille said.

Conille said he would discuss with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates "how we can find regular flows to help the Haitian national police to combat&nbsp;security."

On Friday, Conille, flanked by heavily armed police, visited patients at a hospital who were being treated for injuries from Thursday's attack. He promised reinforcements were en route from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

A spokesperson for Haiti's national police told Reuters on Friday evening that the director of police in charge of the Artibonite department had been replaced.

Gran Grif is the largest gang in Haiti's Artibonite department, according to security analysts. The region is home to many of Haiti's rice fields.

The gang's leader Luckson Elan said the attack was in retaliation for civilians remaining passive while police and vigilante groups killed his soldiers.

This week's killings were the latest sign of a worsening conflict in Haiti, where armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince and are expanding to nearby regions, fueling hunger and making hundreds of thousands homeless. Promised international support still lags and nearby nations have deported migrants back to the country.

The number of people internally displaced by the conflict has meanwhile surged past 700,000, nearly doubling in six months.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille embarked on a trip to the United Arab Emirates and Kenya on Saturday to seek security assistance in the aftermath of one of deadliest gang attacks in the Caribbean nation in recent years.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille embarked on a trip to the United Arab Emirates and Kenya on Saturday to seek security assistance in the aftermath of one of deadliest gang attacks in the Caribbean nation in recent years. Haiti is reeling after members of the Gran Grif gang stormed through the town of Pont-Sonde in the western Artibonite region early on Thursday, killing at least 70 people, including infants, and forcing over 6,000 residents to flee. The massacre caused widespread shock even in a country that has grown accustomed to outbreaks of violence, and where the national police force is outgunned and understaffed. "As you can see, we are being attacked on several fronts," Conille said in a press conference before the trip. Last week, the UN Security Council authorized for another year an international security force that is intended to help local police fight gangs and provide law and order. So far, the mission has made little progress helping Haiti restore order with only about 400 mostly Kenyan police officers on the ground. "One of the aims of this trip is to go to Kenya to discuss with President Ruto how we can speed up the deployment of remnants of the Kenyan troops as quickly as possible to continue supporting the national police force," Conille said. Conille said he would discuss with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates "how we can find regular flows to help the Haitian national police to combat security." On Friday, Conille, flanked by heavily armed police, visited patients at a hospital who were being treated for injuries from Thursday's attack. He promised reinforcements were en route from the capital, Port-au-Prince. A spokesperson for Haiti's national police told Reuters on Friday evening that the director of police in charge of the Artibonite department had been replaced. Gran Grif is the largest gang in Haiti's Artibonite department, according to security analysts. The region is home to many of Haiti's rice fields. The gang's leader Luckson Elan said the attack was in retaliation for civilians remaining passive while police and vigilante groups killed his soldiers. This week's killings were the latest sign of a worsening conflict in Haiti, where armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince and are expanding to nearby regions, fueling hunger and making hundreds of thousands homeless. Promised international support still lags and nearby nations have deported migrants back to the country. The number of people internally displaced by the conflict has meanwhile surged past 700,000, nearly doubling in six months. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Haiti PM goes abroad to seek security assistance following gang attacks in his nation

A fuel truck explosion in Haiti's Southern Peninsula on Saturday (Sep 14) claimed the lives of at least 25 people and left dozens injured with serious burns, reported local media.&nbsp;

The tanker truck explosion near the coastal city of Miragoane in the department of Nippes happened as the victims were trying to collect fuel from the leaking vehicle revealed reports.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:118,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1955}">PM visits the explosion site</h2>

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the site of the tragic explosion, where at least 40 have been injured.

In a statement, he said he had just witnessed a "horrible scene".

"This is a horrible scene, what I have just witnessed."

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Conille said that some of the most seriously injured people were evacuated via helicopter to nearby hospitals and that emergency teams were working to "save the lives of the seriously injured".

He also promised government support for the victims and their families and called an emergency government meeting to deal with the tragedy.

As per news agency Reuters, earlier authorities had announced that 16 bodies were completely charred and unrecognisable after the blast.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:444,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2281}">People were collecting fuel</h2>

The incident happened around 7 am local time. A witness said that the truck's gas tank had been punctured by another vehicle, and, seeing that people had rushed to the site to collect fuel.

In a video interview with local outlet Echo Haiti Media, the unidentified witness said,&nbsp;"There were a lot of people. Those who were close to the truck got pulverised."

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He said that it was difficult to know the actual death toll.

"You can't know, because there were a lot of people, bystanders and those collecting oil. There were a lot of people," he said.

According to Reuters, this comes amid fuel deliveries in Miragoane. In recent weeks, fuel trucks were being transported via ferries to avoid transported via ferry to avoid gang-controlled highways surrounding the capital of Port-au-Prince.

Previously, an incident in 2021, where people similarly attempted to take fuel from a fuel tanker in the city of Cap-Haïtien, had killed at least 60 people.

(With inputs from agencies)

A fuel truck explosion in Haiti's Southern Peninsula on Saturday (Sep 14) claimed the lives of at least 25 people and left dozens injured with serious burns, reported local media.

A fuel truck explosion in Haiti's Southern Peninsula on Saturday (Sep 14) claimed the lives of at least 25 people and left dozens injured with serious burns, reported local media. The tanker truck explosion near the coastal city of Miragoane in the department of Nippes happened as the victims were trying to collect fuel from the leaking vehicle revealed reports. PM visits the explosion site Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the site of the tragic explosion, where at least 40 have been injured. In a statement, he said he had just witnessed a "horrible scene". "This is a horrible scene, what I have just witnessed." Also read | Has Russia shared nuclear secrets with Iran? Britain and US alarmed over 'potential' deal Conille said that some of the most seriously injured people were evacuated via helicopter to nearby hospitals and that emergency teams were working to "save the lives of the seriously injured". He also promised government support for the victims and their families and called an emergency government meeting to deal with the tragedy. As per news agency Reuters, earlier authorities had announced that 16 bodies were completely charred and unrecognisable after the blast. People were collecting fuel The incident happened around 7 am local time. A witness said that the truck's gas tank had been punctured by another vehicle, and, seeing that people had rushed to the site to collect fuel. In a video interview with local outlet Echo Haiti Media, the unidentified witness said, "There were a lot of people. Those who were close to the truck got pulverised." Also read | 'Drugged and raped for decades,' Hundreds gather in support of Gisele Pelicot in France He said that it was difficult to know the actual death toll. "You can't know, because there were a lot of people, bystanders and those collecting oil. There were a lot of people," he said. According to Reuters, this comes amid fuel deliveries in Miragoane. In recent weeks, fuel trucks were being transported via ferries to avoid transported via ferry to avoid gang-controlled highways surrounding the capital of Port-au-Prince. Previously, an incident in 2021, where people similarly attempted to take fuel from a fuel tanker in the city of Cap-Haïtien, had killed at least 60 people. (With inputs from agencies)

'Horrible scene': At least 25 dead, 40 injured while trying to collect leaking fuel from tank in Haiti

Haiti's Prime Minister Garry Conille narrowly escaped harm on Monday (Jul&nbsp;29) when gangs opened fire. The attack took place near a hospital in Port-au-Prince that the PM was visiting.

A government source told news agency AFP that Conille, escorted by Haitian police and members of a UN-backed Kenyan security force, escaped the attack unscathed.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:116,&quot;w&quot;:649,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2016}">What happened?</h2>

As per the report, Conille, who assumed office recently in June, was departing from the hospital in a gang-controlled area of Port-au-Prince when gunmen started shooting automatic weapons.

Also read |&nbsp;<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:88,&quot;y&quot;:210,&quot;w&quot;:520,&quot;h&quot;:16,&quot;abs_x&quot;:121,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2110}" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africas-former-president-jacob-zuma-expelled-from-anc-745281">South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma expelled from his ANC party</a>

The gunfire erupted in the vicinity of the hospital. It is not known yet whether it was potentially an assassination attempt.

He was there to conduct a surprise inspection of the General hospital's operating conditions.&nbsp;

Video of the incident shows police officers being forced to take cover in the hospital's secure areas as gunfire erupts. There have been no reports of injuries so far.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haiti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Haiti</a>- Shooting at General Hospital: Garry Conille and Kenyan Soldiers Trapped in Place 
 
Port-au-Prince, July 29, 2024 – Prime Minister Garry Conille made a surprise visit to the General Hospital this afternoon, but the event was marred by an unexpected shooting. 
 
According to… <a href="https://t.co/GesvHCRyAY">pic.twitter.com/GesvHCRyAY</a>
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&nbsp;

The hospital, as per AFP, had been under gang control from the end of February until early July, when a police operation successfully reclaimed the building.

Currently, criminal groups in Haiti control approximately 80 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince. Due to the gangs, residents of the city are constantly subjected to threats of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom.&nbsp;

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To rescue the city from gang violence, hundreds of Kenyan police officers have been deployed in the capital. This has been done as part of an international effort to restore order in Haiti, which is plagued by political, social, and economic turmoil.

Prime Minister Conille has committed to restoring state authority. He took office as part of an interim government formed after the resignation of his unpopular and unelected predecessor, Ariel Henry.

(With inputs from agencies)

Haiti's Prime Minister Garry Conille narrowly escaped harm on Monday (Jul 29) when gangs opened fire. The attack took place near a hospital in Port-au-Prince that the PM was visiting.

Haiti's Prime Minister Garry Conille narrowly escaped harm on Monday (Jul 29) when gangs opened fire. The attack took place near a hospital in Port-au-Prince that the PM was visiting. A government source told news agency AFP that Conille, escorted by Haitian police and members of a UN-backed Kenyan security force, escaped the attack unscathed. What happened? As per the report, Conille, who assumed office recently in June, was departing from the hospital in a gang-controlled area of Port-au-Prince when gunmen started shooting automatic weapons. Also read | South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma expelled from his ANC party The gunfire erupted in the vicinity of the hospital. It is not known yet whether it was potentially an assassination attempt. He was there to conduct a surprise inspection of the General hospital's operating conditions. Video of the incident shows police officers being forced to take cover in the hospital's secure areas as gunfire erupts. There have been no reports of injuries so far. #Haiti- Shooting at General Hospital: Garry Conille and Kenyan Soldiers Trapped in Place Port-au-Prince, July 29, 2024 – Prime Minister Garry Conille made a surprise visit to the General Hospital this afternoon, but the event was marred by an unexpected shooting. According to… pic.twitter.com/GesvHCRyAY — HaitiInfoProj (@HaitiInfoProj) July 29, 2024 × The hospital, as per AFP, had been under gang control from the end of February until early July, when a police operation successfully reclaimed the building. Currently, criminal groups in Haiti control approximately 80 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince. Due to the gangs, residents of the city are constantly subjected to threats of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom. Also read | Trump agrees to sit with FBI for ‘victim interview’ about assassination attempt To rescue the city from gang violence, hundreds of Kenyan police officers have been deployed in the capital. This has been done as part of an international effort to restore order in Haiti, which is plagued by political, social, and economic turmoil. Prime Minister Conille has committed to restoring state authority. He took office as part of an interim government formed after the resignation of his unpopular and unelected predecessor, Ariel Henry. (With inputs from agencies)

Haiti PM Garry Conille narrowly escapes gang attack in capital Port-au-Prince

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Haiti's new PM sworn in as passenger jet comes under fire in Port-au-Prince

Haiti PM goes abroad to seek security assistance following gang attacks in his nation

'Horrible scene': At least 25 dead, 40 injured while trying to collect leaking fuel from tank in Haiti

Haiti PM Garry Conille narrowly escapes gang attack in capital Port-au-Prince