As Haiti continues to struggle with a surge in gang violence, the government on Tuesday swore in Mario Andrésol as the new state secretary of public security.
Andrésol, who served as director of Haiti’s National Police nearly 20 years ago, pledged to crack down on gangs and crime, including weapons and drug trafficking.
“We need to think or rethink the strategy that will allow us to fight transnational crime that weakens our internal security,” he said at a press conference where he held a moment of silence for victims of violence.
Joining Andrésol was Haitian Prime Minister Alix Fils-Aimé, who said he was taking responsibility for placing “the right people in the right places” to protect Haitians and provide security.
Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Office noted that more than 5,600 people were reported killed in Haiti last year, a more than 20% increase compared with the previous year.
In addition, more than 2,200 people were reported injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped.
Africanews/Shakirat Sadiq
Comments are closed.