US flights to Haiti banned for 30 days after planes hit by gunfire – National
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday it would bar US airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days after two airliners were shot down on Monday.
The FAA has issued a Notice to the Air Mission prohibiting the operation of US civil aircraft in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet for 30 days.
On Monday, a Spirit Airlines flight heading to the Haitian capital was hit by a bullet, forcing it to be diverted to neighboring Dominican Republic, while a JetBlue Airways flight returning from Port-au-Prince was found to have bullet damage after landing in New York. .
It was part of the violence that erupted in Haiti when the country swore in its new prime minister after political turmoil.
Neither the former interim prime minister, Garry Conille, nor the newly appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé commented on the violence.
But Luis Abinader, as president of the neighboring Dominican Republic has banned Haitian immigration, calling the shooting down of the Spirit Airlines plane terrorism.
“This was an act of terrorism; countries that follow and help Haiti should declare these gangs as terrorist groups,” said Abinader in a press conference.
On Tuesday, heavily armed police in armored vehicles outside the airport checked trucks used for public transport passing through.
Schools were closed, as well as banks and government offices. The streets, which had been cordoned off for a day by gangs and police during a firefight, were empty, with few people driving except for a motorcycle with a shot man clinging to the back.
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The sounds of heavy gunfire can still be heard in the streets this afternoon – a reminder that despite the political intrigues of Haiti and the intense pressure of the international community to restore peace, the toxic ties of gangs have a firm grip on much of the Caribbean. nation.
The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. A UN-backed team led by the Kenyan police to end gang violence is underfunded and understaffed, leading to a UN peacekeeping mission.
The violence comes after the transitional council, which was tasked with restoring democracy in Haiti, which has not held since 2016, decided to fire Conille, who was often at odds with the council during his six months in power. The council quickly swore in businessman Fils-Aimé as the new interim prime minister.
Conille initially called the action illegal, but on Tuesday he approved the appointment of Fils-Aimé in his place on social media platform X.
“(I) wish him success in accomplishing this task. At this critical time, unity and solidarity are important in our country. Long live Haiti!” he wrote.
Fils-Aimé promised to work with international partners to restore peace and hold long-awaited elections, a pledge made by his predecessor.
But many Haitians, like 43-year-old Martha Jean-Pierre, are less concerned about the political war, which experts say gives gangs more freedom to continue expanding their control as Haiti teeters on the brink of famine.
Jean-Pierre was one of those who braved the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to sell plantains, carrots, cabbage and potatoes that he carried in baskets on his head. He had no choice, he said – selling was the only way to support his children.
“What good is the new prime minister if there is no security, if I can’t walk freely and sell my goods,” he said pointing to his vegetable basket. “This is my bank account, this is what my family relies on.”
It has been a seeming frustration that international actors have pushed for a peaceful resolution in Haiti such as the UN and the US.
On Tuesday, the US State Department complained that Conille and the council “couldn’t move forward in a constructive way” and asked Fils-Aimé and the council to provide a clear action plan that presents a joint vision on how to reduce violence and open the roads. the manner in which elections will be held to “prevent further conflict.”
“The immediate and urgent needs of the Haitian people warrant that the interim government prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” it wrote in a statement.
-From files from the Associated Press
