Cite Soleil - Haiti Observer Blog

The disasters in Haiti do not stop happening, it is one after another. From the week beginning March to March 19, 2016, from Police shooting to gas station exploding in Hinche, now a bridge along Route 9 in Cite Soleil collapsed. Here are some of the pictures

What do you think?

Public transportation, as it is understood in the U.S and other civilized countries, does not exist in Haiti and disasters never stop here. Recently, on Friday, March 18, 2016, a bridge (Wout Nave Bridge) on Rivière Grise on Route 9, connecting Cité Soleil to the National #1, partially collapsed while a truck was passing carrying gravel over the bridge. This recent disaster is an example of poor quality craftsmanship and supervision and that indicates how the public money in Haiti is managed. The bridge was built to support a load of 20 tons only. However, a primary investigation suggests that the possible cause of the collapse could be the stolen bolts of the bridge which were found missing. The bridge was damaged by the recent hurricane as well.

Read more →  

Discharged completely from accusation on Friday, February 12, 2016 by French Justice, former gang leader Amaral Duclona wil be coming soon to Haiti. As you may remember, he was accused for several criminal acts committed in 2004 during the period of Operation Bagdad. These crimes include kidnapping and killing of businessman Claude Bernard Lauture in 2004 in Port-au-Prince, kidnapping and killing of the French Honorary consul, Paul-Henri Moural in Cap-Haitian in May 2005, and other criminal acts. French justice acquitted Amaral Duclona as it was unable to get some of the key Haitian witnesses to testify against him

Read more →  

On Thursday, January 28, 2016, Michel Martelly, the President of the Republic, inaugurated the socio-community infrastructures, a project of Wharf Jérémie, in the commune of Cité Soleil. The President was accompanied by Yves Germain Joseph, the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Mr. Jacques Rousseau, the Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications, and Mr. Wilson Laleau, the Minister of Economy and Finance. During his speech for the occasion, the President said, he believes the new complex of Wharf Jérémie with its modern amenities, would play an important role in the economic and social development of Haiti. It would further offer facilities for a leisure space, trade, place for technical and vocational training and sports practice to the inhabitants of Wharf.

Read more →  

It has been reported that more than thirty people have died in Cite Soleil between last Friday and Sunday as a result of violence. Some people reported major intervention by the special force BOID at Wharf de Jérémie, specially in "Belekou", "Boston" and "Fort-Dimanche".

The actual reason for the violence in Cite Soleil is still unclear. While some people informed us that it is the result of a clash between two rival gangs in Drouillard districts Bois Neuf, others think it is politically connected. Some think that the current level of insecurity and crime in Cite Soleil has everything to do with the upcoming election scheduled for October 18, which is in less than a week. A former Deputy in the region accused the PNH for the violence, stating that this was done in preparation to a visit by President Michel Martelly over the weekend

Read more →  

A security operation was undertaken between June 28th, and June 30th 2014. It was carried out in the Bellecourt area of Cite Soleil. The operation involved the United Nation Stabilization Mission, and was being conducted together with the Haitian National Police. There were a total of 382 UN peacekeepers in the mission. This UN group was comprised of two groups; 273 from the military component, while 109 came from United Nations Police.

During the mission in Bellecourt, there were members of the area who were arrested, suspected of committing crimes. The National Police of Haiti arrested 34 people. Among the arrested persons 18 were confirmed to be active gang members in Soleil.

Read more →  

According to a pastor working in the slum of Cite Soleil, more that 40 people have been reported dead as a result of recent violence there. The slum of Cite Soleil has once again become a dead trap for many as the pastor working in the town reported on Radio Kiskeya that recent violence has taken the lives of 40 people within the last 8 months

Many gangs in Haiti are usually based in slums like Cite Soleil where there are little opportunities for the residents and specially the young. They use their power and influence to recruit young people in the neighborhood and arm them with heavy weapons. The gang members are often involved in kidnappings, harassment and terror carried to the population to finance their operation.

Read more →  

The latest reconstruction project to rejuvenate Haiti's infrastructure is the Wharf of Jérémie Project, to be built in Cité Soleil. It will be, primarily, a commercial port serving the inter-regional and coastal areas of the Caribbean. The supporting infrastructure would house the new offices of the Port Authority, a vocational training center, public plaza, beach resort, and market.

In attendance at the ground-breaking ceremonies were President Martelly, government ministers, and Cité Soleil and Port-au-Prince mayors.

Martelly admitted Cité Soleil has been ignored by the government of Haiti (GOH), to the detriment of its development. He was referring to Parliament, of course, and not himself as part of Cité Soleil's problems. He invoked resounding declarations like, "I am listening to you!", and "I am at your disposal!"

Read more →  

Ti Manman Cheri is a social welfare program that was launched on 27th May 2012 by the President of the Republic of Haiti. It is the first of its kind welfare program under which, the government will provide facilities to extremely poor families with children. The program will facilitate schooling and improve living conditions and the first beneficiaries targeted were Carrefour Feuilles, Cité Soleil, Fort National and Bel-Air. The government planned to use $13 million from PetroCaribe to fund this program.

According to Ti Manman Cheri, government proposed to send money through Tchocho mobile phone service of Digicel to every mother given the condition that their children enrolled and went to school regularly. 400, 600 or 800 gourdes would be given every month to mothers with 1, 2 or 3 child respectively. Initial registration was decided to be for 6 months with 10 allowed renewals totaling up to 5 years. The program aimed at reaching 100,000 beneficiary families.

Read more →  

Minister of Industry and Commerce, Wilson Laleau, met with President of the National Council of Free Zones (CNZF), Rode Préval on Monday to join forces with the Société Immobilière de Développement SA (SIDSA). The agreement is for the initiation of a new industrial free zone in Tabarre. Préval states that this will directly create as many as 3,500 new jobs and up to 15,000 indirect ones.

The projected Tabarre free zone will take up an estimated 3 carreaux of land and will house two buildings of over 10,000 square meters each. These modernly constructed industrial buildings were made with promoting Haiti in mind. The facilities are described as 'attractive and should entice overseas investors. They are slated to have circulation areas that allow ease in transport of the 56 40ft containers they are slated to boast.

Read more →  

Comfortable living space, safety, security and luxury are some of the things that are uncommon among people living in Cite Soleil, an extremely poor town in the Arrondissement of Port-au-Prince in Ouest Department. As a matter of fact, it is considered one of the poorest and most dangerous towns in Haiti.

Around 400,000 residents live in Cite Soleil without a decent access to electricity. The sewerage and canal systems in the town are in poor condition, while only a few businesses are open to serve the residents. There are some hospitals and only one school. While half of the houses in Cite Soleil were made of cement and metal roof, the other 50% were makeshift shelters built in materials that residents have scavenged.

Read more →