Public Security: The Government Reaffirms Its Strategy to Reclaim State Authority

The Haitian government reiterated, this Tuesday, February 3, 2026, its determination to strengthen state authority and intensify the fight against insecurity across the national territory. This position was reaffirmed by the Secretary of State for Public Security, Mario Andrésol, during the 35th edition of “Mardis de la Nation”. Speaking on behalf of the government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Mario Andrésol emphasized the priority nature of public security, presented as an indispensable condition for political stability, economic recovery, and the return to democratic life. He assured that the Haitian state is engaged in a “structured, sustainable, and irreversible” offensive against all forms of insecurity. In this perspective, the Secretary of State highlighted the signing, at the end of July 2025, of a strategic cooperation framework between the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to authorities, this agreement aims to strengthen the sovereign capacity of the Haitian state in security matters, without substituting its sovereign responsibilities. This cooperation framework is based on five major axes:

1. the strengthening of governance and strategic steering of the security sector,
2. the consolidation of the legal and normative framework,
3. support for state planning and decision-making mechanisms,
4. the strengthening of community resilience to security threats, as well as
5. the intensification of the fight against transnational organized crime, with an inclusive and equitable security approach.

The central objective of this strategy, Mario Andrésol specified, is to support the progressive and methodical reclamation of national territory, particularly in the departments of Ouest, Artibonite, and Centre, which remain among the most affected by armed gang violence. As part of the implementation of this policy, the Office of the Secretary of State for Public Security has acquired national and international experts, called to work in close collaboration with state institutions and UNDP. This approach aims to strengthen the operational, institutional, and decision-making capacities of the state to ensure lasting stabilization of the country. In conclusion of his intervention, the Secretary of State for Public Security reiterated that security constitutes a fundamental right for citizens and a non-negotiable sovereign duty of the state, reaffirming his willingness to fully assume this responsibility in the face of a security crisis that continues to weigh heavily on the population. Jean Wesley Pierre / Le Relief