Haiti's Newly Appointed Prime Minister Hospitalized Shortly After Selection

Garry Conille, Haiti's New Prime Minister, Hospitalized Days After Arrival

**PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti** — The office of the prime minister announced that Garry Conille, recently appointed as Haiti’s prime minister, was admitted to a hospital late Saturday in Port-au-Prince. This hospitalization comes just a few days after he returned to the country to assume his new role.

While the exact reasons for Conille's hospitalization remain undisclosed, the prime minister's office mentioned in a statement that he felt slightly unwell after a "week of intense activities." The statement assured that Conille was in stable condition and expressed his gratitude for the visits and well-wishes he received.

Louis Gérald Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council responsible for selecting Conille, confirmed his presence at the hospital but couldn’t provide additional details about Conille's health status. Attempts to reach Conille's spokesperson for comments were unsuccessful.

Eyewitnesses observed a number of prominent officials, including Frantz Elbé, the head of Haiti’s National Police, and Bruno Maes, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti, arriving at the hospital. The street outside was cordoned off by SUVs with tinted windows, drawing the curiosity of onlookers.

Conille was appointed as prime minister on May 28 after a complicated selection process. His appointment comes at a critical time for Haiti, which is struggling with rampant gang violence and preparing for the arrival of a Kenyan police force under a U.N.-backed initiative. This deployment had been delayed partly because of the lack of a prime minister following Ariel Henry's resignation on April 25.

Henry’s resignation followed his entrapment outside the country after coordinated gang attacks on February 29, during his visit to Kenya. The gangs’ assault included burning police stations, firing at the main international airport, and breaching Haiti’s largest prisons, releasing over 4,000 inmates.

Conille arrived in Haiti on June 1, transitioning from his recent role as UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, a position he had held since January 2023. Notably, Conille had previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from October 2011 to May 2012 under President Michel Martelly.

Since his return, Conille has been actively engaging with officials and assessing various parts of Port-au-Prince. He joined a police patrol in an armored vehicle, sporting a helmet and flak jacket, and has toured the recently reopened main international airport, which had been closed for nearly three months due to gang violence. Additionally, he met with business leaders and the heads of the country's two telecommunications companies on Friday.

Conille has been involved in ongoing discussions with the transitional council regarding the composition of Haiti’s new Cabinet, highlighting his commitment to stabilizing and leading the troubled nation.