Haiti’s transition council on Tuesday tapped former Haitian prime minister Garry Conille, who briefly led the country more than a decade ago, to return to the role as the Caribbean nation works to restore stability and take back control from violent gangs.
The transition council voted 6-1 to install Conille as interim prime minister, a member said.
Conille’s extensive resume in development, working largely with the UN, is considered key to shoring up international support as Haiti prepares to launch a UN-backed security mission led by Kenya, although its deployment has faced hurdles.
Photo: Reuters
The transition council, which holds some presidential powers, and its head, Edgard Leblanc, acting as a de facto president, are tasked with holding elections before Feb. 7, 2026, as laid out in Haiti’s constitution.
“Following discussions within the transition council after hearings with the candidates for prime minister, Dr. Garry Conille was chosen by consensus to lead the government during this transition period,” Leblanc wrote on X.
Conille’s naming underscores progress in Haiti’s political process and follows Ariel Henry’s resignation as Haitian prime minister in March after he left Haiti to seek support for the Kenyan security mission and was unable to re-enter the country.
Conille was prime minister for just seven months, resigning in February 2012 after losing the support of his cabinet and clashing with then-Haitian president Michel Martelly.
Conille most recently held the post of regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund.
He now faces the task of fighting off rampant insecurity as gangs have expanded their reach. More than 360,000 people are already internally displaced within Haiti, mostly from Port-au-Prince, due to the gang conflict, the UN has said.
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