Newly-appointed Haitian prime minister Garry Conille was rushed to the hospital on Saturday night as a result of respiratory issues, local outlet 'Le Nouvelliste' reported.
News agency AFP added that Conille had asthma and there is a chance he will be taken overseas to be treated. His office defined his symptoms as mild and coming after a "week of intensive activities," without providing any more details.
Dozens of onlookers gathered at the hospitals where Conille is being treated. Senior government figures such as police chief Frantz Elbé were seen at the hospital as well.
Before being hospitalized, Conille, who was sworn in on June 3, held a series of appearances as he begins the monumental task of leading the country out of its chaotic situation and quashing gangs controlling large swaths of territory.
One of them took place at the Port-au-Prince airport, where he praised security forces for ensuring operations could resume after three months of being paralyzed due to gang activities.
He also held meetings with representatives from the private sector and two telecommunication companies, all while working with the transitional council to form a cabinet aiming to provide stability to the country and pave the way for presidential elections in 2026.
A medical doctor by training, Conille had served as Haiti's premier for a short period in 2011-2012, and was until recently regional director for UN aid agency UNICEF. He will have to oversee the deployment of an international force tasked with helping restore order as it continues to face delays, an unclear arrival date and doubts about the role they will play.
The force, which was initially set to arrive in the Caribbean country in late May, is also facing a new legal challenge in Kenya, whose police agents are set to lead the mission. A previous one contributed to delaying the mission for months as the situation in Haiti continued to deteriorate.
However, that is not the only challenge. The operation continues to be far from financially solvent, having received a small portion of the $600 million estimated to be needed. And there is renewed confusion about whether the foreign cops will be tasked with fighting the gangs that control large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, or if they will solely protect key government infrastructures like the airport, seaport and the presidential palace.
The initial deployment was set to be comprised of between 120 and 200 officials, but no specifics on that have been provided either. Kenya committed to leading the security mission to Haiti in October, pledging up to 1,000 officers to assist the Haitian police in maintaining security. Additional contributions of 1,500 officers were promised by partner countries, including Jamaica, Bangladesh, and Chad.
Forces were supposed to start arriving on May 23 to coincide with a visit by Ruto to the White House. Prior to leaving the U.S., the head of state said the deployment would take place about three weeks from then. Almost three weeks on, there is no set date either.
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