Haiti's PM Fils-Aimé speaks out as concerns over El Salvador's troops deepen

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Nov 4, (AP): Haiti’s prime minister spoke publicly on Tuesday for the first time since four Salvadoran aviation technicians went missing last month, prompting El Salvador to deploy more than 2,000 troops to the troubled Caribbean country as scrutiny over their operations intensifies. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said Haiti, which is battling powerful gangs, is responsible for the direction of foreign forces in his country.

"The international force is not here to replace the state,” he said. "They’re here to support us.” Fils-Aimé was flanked from behind by an army colonel from El Salvador, a leader of the UN-backed gang suppression force, and officials from Haiti’s army and police. It appeared to be a show of unity as concerns grow about Salvadoran troops acting unilaterally.

Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. They now control 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape, into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination. Fils-Aimé thanked El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in his brief speech.

"He understands our fight,” he said, referring to Bukele’s ongoing battle against violent gangs in El Salvador. "He came to stand on the side of the Haitian people.” But a source familiar with on-the-ground operations in Haiti who was not authorized to talk publicly about the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday that up until the Oct. 18 attack against the Salvadoran technicians, El Salvador had not signed an agreement with the UN.

It also did not have a protection agreement with Haiti’s government or a memorandum of understanding with the Dominican Republic to medevac injured personnel of the UN-backed gang suppression force. Damian Merlo, a lobbyist for El Salvador's government, asserted that the country's forces are closely coordinating with the gang suppression force and Fils-Aimé's office.

He declined to clarify who the Salvadoran troops were reporting to or provide more details on operations, adding that "the only ones operating outside international law are the gangs.” Up until the attack, the primary role of the roughly 200 Salvadorans in Haiti was to assist medically. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and operations of the recently deployed Salvadoran troops remained murky.

Fils-Aimé said the government’s priorities are to reestablish security across Haiti and hold elections. "We have entered into a decisive stage,” he said. The prime minister spoke a day after the UN said that most of El Salvador’s personnel in Haiti are not operating under the framework of the UN-backed gang suppression force. UN officials underscored the importance of complying with international law.