Haiti’s newly appointed prime minister, Garry Conille, was admitted Saturday night to a hospital in Port-au-Prince, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Conille was hospitalized just days after he returned to the country, according to the AP. The reason for his hospitalization was not immediately clear, though he was reported to be stable after feeling slightly unwell following a week of demanding activities.
Louis Gérald Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council which appointed Conille prime minister, confirmed he visited the hospital but could not provide details about Conille’s health, the outlet reported. The prime minister, who is reportedly asthmatic and sometimes uses an inhaler, experienced breathing difficulties, prompting an urgent medical call, the outlet reported, citing an anonymous associate of Conille.
Haiti’s new prime minister taken to hospital, official says https://t.co/5tAtPA5i1V
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 9, 2024
Several high-ranking officials, including Frantz Elbé, director of Haiti’s National Police, and Bruno Maes, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti, visited the hospital, according to the AP. Before his hospitalization, Conille reportedly engaged with key sectors in Haiti, including security forces, business leaders and telecom companies. He previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from 2011 to 2012 as well as UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean since January 2023, according to the outlet. (RELATED: US Embassy In Haiti Goes Into Lockdown Amid Gunfire, Violence)
Conille, who assumed office May 28, 2024, faces daunting challenges amid Haiti’s turmoil. He aims to address the rampant gang violence and preparing for a U.N.-backed Kenyan police force’s deployment, delayed by political instability, according to the AP. His leadership follows the abrupt end of Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s tenure in April 2024, which was marked by significant security breaches by gangs during an official trip to Kenya. Regional violence forced the closure of airports, forcing him to send a recorded video of his resignation from Puerto Rico, the AP reported. Henry signed his resignation letter in Los Angeles.
“We served the nation in difficult times,” he wrote, according to the outlet. “I sympathize with the losses and suffering endured by our compatriots during this period.”
