As A Tense Haiti Awaits New Leadership, Fresh Violence Erupts

Haitians were waiting nervously Friday for the naming of a transitional governing body that they hope will begin restoring stability to the country wracked by gang violence.

But attacks continued overnight, targeting the Port-au-Prince airport and a top police official's home, while residents mounted roadblocks in two spots both to impede the criminal gangs and signal their own frustration, an AFP reporter said.

Haitians and their supporters abroad are hoping a transitional body -- to fill the void left by departing Prime Minister Ariel Henry -- can help quash the violence that has left 80 percent of the capital city under gang control.

The latest flare-up came after a few days of relative calm in the country that has grappled in recent years with rampant gun battles, kidnappings and sexual violence.

In addition to the roadblocks on major roads leading from the capital's center, gunfire Thursday near the airport left one police officer wounded. The home of the top police commander was also pillaged and burned, the police union reported.

An overnight curfew was extended to Sunday in the Ouest department, which includes Port-au-Prince, in an effort to "retake control of the situation," according to the prime minister's office. A state of emergency is set to end April 3.

"There are great numbers of prison escapees in the streets," said Port-au-Prince resident Edner Petit. "The situation is getting steadily worse. The decision to impose a monthlong curfew is to be praised ... but it shouldn't have had to come to that."

Underscoring the impact of the crisis on ordinary Haitians, the Haitian Medical Association on Thursday expressed "consternation" over the "forced closure of hospitals" and "acts of physical violence against care personnel."

Henry, whose term in office was marked by rising gang violence, announced Monday he would resign once the transitional council is stood up.

The Caribbean regional body CARICOM was holding an emergency meeting with representatives of Haiti, the United Nations and concerned countries including the United States.

The meeting charged Haitian political groups with establishing the transitional governing body, and most of those groups have submitted the names of their chosen representatives, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

He told reporters he expects the transition council to be "fully stood up" within "the coming days."

Members of the so-called December 21 Accord, the group supporting Henry, have struggled to agree on a single nominee but are in talks aimed at doing so.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman called Friday for "all Haitian stakeholders to set aside their differences and take immediate action to advance the implementation of the transitional governance arrangements."

The transition council is supposed to comprise seven voting members representing key political and private-sector forces in Haiti. It has been tasked with selecting an interim prime minister and nominating an "inclusive" cabinet.

But several groups will be excluded: those who have been charged with or convicted of crimes; those facing UN sanctions; anyone planning to take part in coming elections; and anyone who has opposed UN plans to deploy a multinational peace force in Haiti.

Kenya, which had agreed to provide a thousand police officers and lead that mission, said Tuesday the deployment would be suspended until a presidential council is installed.

As the country's humanitarian situation spirals toward famine, the UN has agreed to establish an "air bridge" between Haiti and neighboring Dominican Republic to expedite aid.

And the United States on Friday announced plans to send an additional $25 million in humanitarian aid, on top of the $33 million announced early in the week.