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Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille endured a horrific ordeal on Monday when he was shot at during a visit to the National University of Haiti Hospital, commonly known as the General Hospital.
Cornely was speaking to CNN at the facility, which has been devastated by gang violence, when the incident occurred.
As Corneille spoke to CNN, prolonged gunfire was heard in a nearby neighborhood. Despite the disturbing noise, the prime minister continued with the interview, reflecting the unfortunate norm for such violence in Port-au-Prince.
After the visit, security forces fired shots to cover Connelly’s exit from the hospital. The CNN team and Haitian officials quickly evacuated, and the sound of gunfire echoed as they entered the main road. According to a statement from the Haitian National Police and the Kenyan-led security force Multinational Security Support (MSS), the last few shots were fired by troops covering Connelly’s exit.
The statement further detailed that the National Police and Ministry of State Security forces “followed the area where the shooting took place and quelled the area.” Fortunately, no one was injured and Cornelli made it back to his office safely.
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Cornely had visited the same hospital this month with Haiti’s police chief, describing the scene as a “war zone” after authorities wrested control of the hospital from armed gangs.
Haiti remains in turmoil, with gang violence and political unrest surging since February. Gang attacks on key infrastructure, including the capital’s international airport and seaport, have disrupted food and aid supply lines. Although the Haitian National Police regained control of infrastructure in early summer, a resurgence in gang activity has forced further intervention by joint Haitian National Police and Haitian Ministry of Security forces.
Cornely’s visit was conducted under tight security, including a convoy of more than a dozen vehicles, a large number of Haitian and Kenyan armed police, the Haitian police chief, the Kenyan force commander, and a dedicated security team for the interim prime minister.
The ongoing crisis led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry in March, plunging the country into political uncertainty. Corneille was appointed interim prime minister in May, tasked with leading Haiti through a transition period and holding new elections. He previously served briefly as prime minister from 2011 to 2012 during the presidency of Michel Martelly.
As the government works to rebuild, Port-au-Prince remains largely isolated from the international community. Across Haiti, nearly 5 million people face severe food shortages. A long-awaited delegation of Kenyan Haitian security forces began arriving in late June to support local police in their fight against criminal gangs that have taken over the capital.
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