PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC -The former director general of the Haitian National Police (NHP), Mario Andrésol, has been sworn in as the new Secretary of State for Public Security, with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, saying the “appointment illustrates the government’s desire to address the security challenges of the nation.”
The Haitian authorities have been trying to restore peace and security to the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries with criminal gangs vowing to overthrow the government and engaging in various deadly attacks, mainly around the capital.
“Public security is and will remain the foundation on which we will build a stable, prosperous, and united Haiti,” said Prime Minister Fils-Aimé at the swearing-in ceremony, urging the Secretary of State to act “diligently and efficiently by mobilizing all necessary resources.”
Andrésol, who was sworn into office by Leslie Voltaire, the head of the Presidential Transitional Council, expressed his determination to address the security challenges across the country.
“If I have agreed to return to the service of the State and the population in a context as difficult as it is troubled, it is not because I believe that I can work miracles,” said Andrésol in the presence of the Justice Minister, Patrick Pélissie, who chaired the event.
Andrésol, who served as PNH director general from 2005-12, told the ceremony that he is not “the bearer of any messianic destiny…I have great hope that my experience in the strategic and operational field, combined with the professional skills of specially selected collaborators, will be able to make a significant contribution to this great project of rebuilding the security governance of the country”.
For his part, Pélissier spoke of the appointment’s importance in the context of ongoing efforts to strengthen the rule of law and guarantee the security of citizens.
He praised the commitment of Andrésol, while President Voltaire emphasized the need to unite all the Haitian stakeholders.
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