As the political crisis in Haiti reaches breaking point, the US will need to do more than investigate the President’s assassination

As a team of American officials investigate the assassination of Haiti’s president, the country falls into political chaos. With the US’ ties to Haiti, this emerging crisis could have impact that reach far beyond Africa.

Although the White House is still reviewing Haiti’s plea for troops to help secure the country, additional military support looks unlikely.

“I don’t know that we’re at a point now where we can say definitively that our national security is being put at risk by what’s happening there,” US secretary of Defence John Kirby said. “But clearly we value our Haitian partners. We value stability and security in that country.”

Now, the world is watching to see if the US lives up to that claim.

Three suspects in President Moïse’s murder have ties to the US

The mercenaries who murdered Jovenel Moïse entered the president’s house dressed like US Drug Enforcement agents. Haiti’s Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph says they were “well-trained professionals”. The assasins also attacked Haiti’s first lady, who is now recovering in a Florida hospital.

Although the majority of suspects ties to the case are former Colombian soldiers, the investigators have also arrested three suspects with ties to the US. They also recently arrested a Florida-based doctor for his involvement in the assassination, alongside two Americans arrested earlier this week.

The two Americans both say they worked only as translators, and were not in the room when the mercenaries killed the president. They say their goal was to bring the president to the national palace, not kill him.

Haiti grapples for control amid leadership grab

Moïse’s murder has thrown the country into a mad scramble for leadership. Interim prime minister Claude Joseph has since made a grab for the top spot. This is despite the former president sacking him a week before his murder.

“Let’s search for harmony to advance together, so the country doesn’t fall into chaos,” warned Joseph.

Despite Joseph’s attempts to garner support from the US, eight of Haiti’s ten remaining senators have challenged Joseph’s legitimacy to rule. The group signed a resolution calling for a new government to replace the intern prime minister with Senate president, Joseph Lambert.

On Saturday, Lambert also said the Senate had postponed a swearing-in ceremony so that all senators could participate. “There is an urgent need to rebuild hope in our country,” he said on Twitter.

As violence escalates, democracy in Haiti falters

Amid the assassination and subsequent leadership scramble, Haiti’s September elections are looking unlikely. Many civil society groups have raised concerns that holding the elections would exacerbate the political crisis.

President Moïse’s assassination is only the latest in a string of the country’s misfortunes, as it struggles to recover from a massive earthquake that struck the nation over ten years ago. Human rights groups estimate gangs control about 60 per cent of the country’s territory.

Haiti also faces food and water insecurity, which have come under greater strain following the outbreak of Covid-19.

Any hope for stability rests on the country solving this latest political crisis. But the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice, who might be expected to help during the upheaval, died recently of COVID-19.