Why Haiti seeks liberation from the influence of Western powers

Haitians desire a reduction in the role of external factors in its sovereign affairs. Numerous historical, political, and economic causes contribute to some of these Western interferences.

According to Haitian Human Rights Lawyer, Mario Joseph, some Western countries have taken control over Haiti of which the Caribbean nation has gained nothing in return but exploitations and human rights abuse. In an interview with Qonversations he insisted that Haiti is capable of sound governance without relying on a third party.

“Haiti cannot have relations with other countries only America. But we got China, we got Russia, we got other countries in the African [continent] because we [are] from African descent. All the time, they interfere. We need the international community like America, France, and Canada to let the Haitian people control their [own] country. We can do that. They need to let us make the decisions for our own country,” Joseph told Qonversations.

Recent violence

Haiti has been plunged in a series of violence for more than 10 years by different rebel groups. This has caused unrest, fear, hunger, and displacements. Human rights activists continue to voice out their opinion about the situation calling on the media and international community for support.

Political crisis also contributes to the widespread insecurity that has strengthened the grip of gangs, armed groups who clash for control of territories.

Homicides have gone up by 83 %

A report published in January 2024 by the UN Secretary General, the number of homicides has more than doubled in Haiti in 2023. Nearly 5000 people were killed. The number of victims of kidnapping rose from 1,359 reported in 2022 to 2,490 in 2023, representing an 83 percent increase.

According to the observations of the founder of Women for Liberty Haiti, Stephanie Michel, it is a kind of “systematic violation of the rights” of the Haitian population – problematic access to justice, housing, food, education, information and above all security.

“In a crisis situation the burdens are even greater for the most vulnerable like women and girls. Widespread insecurity, for me, reinforces the deterioration of the condition of Haitian women. Intensifying forms of violence against them makes them more vulnerable to aggression and abuse led to large displacement of women and many of these women became single parents because their husbands were killed as a result of the violence,” Stephanie Michel asserted.

What’s the MINUSTAH Commotion?

The UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) stands as one of the most contentious UN missions in history. It has been the subject of numerous claims of abuse and exploitation of sexual nature.

Local women and girls described how peacekeeping soldiers sexually assaulted and impregnated girls as young as 11. The females were then “left in misery” to raise their children alone, frequently because the fathers are repatriated as soon as the pregnancy is discovered, according to a study by The Conversation.

“We never had Cholera in Haiti before their presence. Most of the agents raped our women and children. After that they left some children. They didn’t take care of them. We have so many MINUSTAH babies in Haiti that don’t have fathers,” Stephanie reiterated.

Joseph referred to the MINUSTAH agents as “monsters” because they did not assist local Haitian institutions in a context of political instability and organised crime as originally mandated. Instead, the assistance were “only atrocities – they lied and got people 10, 000 people killed and brought cholera”.

Call for a better governance system

A Ghanaian human rights lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu told Qonversations that inasmuch as the world is very busy trying to deal with other issues like, Israeli-Gaza conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, he said it is important that the world turned its attention to Haiti. He also advocated for good leadership.

“The legitimacy of a leader is determined by the, the power. And so, the people have to have confidence in the one that is leading them.”

He continued that, “Leaders must understand that the reason for which we are elected is for the common good and the common welfare of the people. So, if you lose legitimacy in the people and there are all kinds of demands from you. People must learn to let go of power so they can protect the peace of the nation.”

For Stephanie, “The Haitian people need to be able to vote for a national government which can actually serve the country. The country needs some sincere collaboration with the international community that can promote and respect the country’s sovereignty”.