Port-au-Prince, Haiti- Following Assassinate Earlier Wednesday, the Haitian government urged US President Jovenel Moise Dispatch troops Protect infrastructure and establish security so that Caribbean countries can hold elections in September.

But Haitian civil society activists say that the surge in gang violence and increased political instability after the killing of Mois made a real election impossible.

Gang violence has More than 15,000 people displaced Since the beginning of June, from densely populated communities around the capital. Houses and businesses were burned and destroyed, and the main road connecting Port-au-Prince and the southern peninsula was blocked by armed groups.

The insecurity in the past two weeks has not only witnessed the killing of Moise, but also nurse When she passed through the Martissant neighborhood of thousands of people near the south exit of the capital, 15 people were massacred, including Activist Antoinette Duclair and journalist Diego Charles.

National Human Rights Defense Network Established Between 2018 and 2020, there were at least 10 massacres in Port-au-Prince, and 1,085 people were killed in 2020 alone.

But the international community has Keep urging The first round of parliamentary and presidential elections will be held on September 26.

“Haitians know that the international community often pushes Haiti to participate in elections,” Velina Charlier, a prominent anti-corruption activist affiliated with the Nou Pap Domi movement, told Al Jazeera. “But when you can’t even pass Mattisan, no one will go out to vote.”

Unknown motive

Theories about the attack that killed Moiz and was seriously injured Martina Moys, Continue to develop, because the authorities have not yet confirmed the motive behind the assassination.

Haitian authorities stated that 26 Colombian mercenaries and two Haitian Americans were involved.Colombian Defense Minister Diego Morano Say Thirteen Colombian men have links with the country’s military.

Martine Moise said in the first comment after the attack that because of her husband’s policies, mercenaries were sent to kill her husband. “In the blink of an eye, the mercenary broke into my house and hit my husband with a bullet…not even giving him a chance to say a word,” she said. Audio information Share on social media on Saturday.

According to reports, the security personnel at Moiz’s residence were not harmed in the incident. Haitian officials said they plan to question security officials close to the killed president, the Haitian news media Le Nouvelliste Report.

Columbia Media Say The head of the National Palace Security Service (USPGN), Dimitri Herard, allegedly also visited Colombia a few weeks before the assassination.U.S. law enforcement is investigating Herald’s connection with armed trafficking at the Center for Economic and Policy Research Report.

Although the Haitian government Claim In order to deploy American soldiers, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press conference on Friday that no American troops have been sent to Haiti, but the United States will send senior officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible.

“We continue to call for elections this year,” Psaki said. “Strengthening Haiti’s law enforcement capabilities is a key priority for the United States-before the assassination a few days ago, it still is.”

The political landscape is turbulent

Moise has faced strong opposition since taking office in 2017. defendant Participated in a $2 billion corruption program related to Petrocaribe, Venezuela’s oil price cut plan, and dozens of other government and private entities.

Since the expiration of the parliamentary term in January 2020, he has also passed decree rulings and stimulated Constitutional crisis When many civil society leaders, jurists and opposition political leaders said that his five-year term ended in February. Moise insisted that his term will expire next year.

The political vacuum left by Moise also led to the two prime ministers.

On Monday, just two days before Moiz’s death, Ariel Henry was appointed as prime minister, but Claude Joseph, who had previously held this position, has been recognized by the international community as interim prime minister. Joseph declared that he had entered a “state of martial law,” and the nation mourned for 15 days.

Haitian Election Minister Matthias Pierre said that because Moise was assassinated less than 72 hours after Henry took office, Joseph is still the legitimate prime minister. He refuted the argument that the coup was taking place, saying that the idea was “to instill doubt and division.”

The President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, speaks during an interview at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince in January 2020 [File: Valerie Baeriswyl/Reuters]

Joseph Lambert, the left-wing leader of the Haitian Senate, with the support of 10 senators, also called himself “President Interim”, Reuters news agency Report; The terms of the other 20 senators expired last year and have not been replaced.

According to Sherlson Sanon’s personal testimony provided to the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) in 2013, Lambert has been associated with gangs and criminal activities since 1999. Sanon said that Lambert recruited child soldiers like him to join the armed group when he was only 11 years old. At the time, Lambert refused to accept the accusation, calling it a defamation activity.

Charlie told Al Jazeera: “We can’t rush into the election, because people with money, gangs and this kind of insecure monopoly will get elected.”

Haitian-led solution

Assassinations are not common in Haiti; the last one happened More than 100 years ago, 1915 ushered in the American military occupation, which lasted until 1934.

Georges Michel, a Haitian historian who helped draft the 1987 constitution, stated that Haiti is witnessing “Somaliization”-a term used to describe the lawlessness that has formed in a political vacuum-and that foreign intervention is inevitable.

Michelle said: “The United States will not tolerate another Somalia developing a flight that is only two hours away from Miami International Airport.”

He said that Haiti may have crossed a threshold, and once an unpopular president appears, it will increase the risk of future assassinations. However, Michel emphasized that the solution to the current crisis is Haitian-not foreign.

Charlie agreed with this, saying that Haiti has reached a tipping point. “And we must get rid of corruption, impunity and these anti-democratic situations.”