The U.S. FAA issued a notice prohibiting U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet for 30 days.
After two commercial jetliners were hit by gunfire on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday that it would prohibit American Airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days.
For 30 days, the FAA’s Notice to Air Mission forbade U.S. civil aircraft activities below 10,000 feet in Haitian territory and airspace.
A JetBlue Airways jet returning from Port-au-Prince was found to have bullet damage after landing in New York, while a Spirit Airlines flight headed for the Haitian capital was hit by gunfire on Monday, requiring it to be rerouted to the adjacent Dominican Republic.
As Haiti swore in its new prime minister following a politically turbulent process, it was one of several acts of violence that broke out throughout the country.
Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the recently appointed prime minister, and Garry Conille, the former temporary prime minister, did not comment on the violence.
However, Luis Abinader, who has repressed Haitian migration as president of the neighboring Dominican Republic, referred to the shooting on the Spirit Airlines jet as terrorism.
During a press conference, Abinader declared, “This was a terrorist act; the countries that are following and aiding Haiti should declare these armed gangs as terrorist groups.”
Outside the airport, highly armed police in armored vehicles inspected passing public transit trucks on Tuesday.
Government offices and banks were closed, as were schools. A motorcycle with a shot guy clinging to the back was the only vehicle passing by on the strangely deserted streets where gangs and police had been engaged in a bloody gunfight only a day before.
Even in the afternoon, the sounds of intense gunfire continued to reverberate through the streets, serving as a reminder that the poisonous network of gangs in Haiti had a solid grip over a large portion of the Caribbean island despite political scheming by the country’s elites and a concerted international attempt to restore calm.
According to UN estimates, 85% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, is under gang control. There have been calls for a U.N. peacekeeping deployment as a U.N.-backed operation headed by Kenyan police to stop gang violence struggles due to a lack of resources and staff.
The violence follows the dismissal of Conille, who frequently clashed with the transitional council during his six months in office, by the council entrusted with bringing democratic order back to Haiti, which hasn’t conducted elections since 2016. Fils-Aimé, a businessman, was quickly sworn in by the council as the next interim prime minister.
Conille first referred to the action as unlawful, but in a post on the social networking site X on Tuesday, he confirmed Fils-Aimé’s appointment.
I hope he succeeds in completing this task. Our nation needs unity and solidarity at this critical juncture. Haiti, long live! He penned it.
Like his predecessor, Fils-Aimé pledged to work with foreign partners to bring peace back and organize long-awaited elections.
As Haiti teeters on the verge of hunger, many Haitians, including Martha Jean-Pierre, 43, have little relish for the political squabbling, which experts believe just gives gangs more license to continue expanding their grip.
Those who braved the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to sell the potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and plantains she was carrying in a basket on her head included Jean-Pierre. She said that selling was her only option for providing for her kids.
She nodded to her vegetable basket and remarked, “What good is a new prime minister if there is no security if I can’t move freely and sell my goods?” “My family depends on this, and this is my bank account.”
The U.N. and the U.S., two major organizations that have urged for a peaceful conclusion in Haiti, seemed to be frustrated.
In an effort to “avoid further gridlock,” the U.S. State Department bemoaned Tuesday that Conille and the council “were unable to move forward in a constructive manner” and urged Fils-Aimé and the council to present a clear action plan that outlines a shared vision on how to reduce violence and clear the way for elections.
In a statement, it stated that the transitional administration must put governance ahead of the conflicting personal interests of political players due to the urgent and pressing demands of the Haitian people.