Laurent Saint-Cyr has been sworn in as president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, assuming power alongside Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, as armed groups escalate threats and the UN-backed security mission warns of critical resource gaps.

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Haiti’s transitional leadership entered office on Thursday under heavy security in Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs control 90% of the city. Businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr was sworn in as president of the presidential council, sharing executive authority with newly appointed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

The appointments mark the first time that figures from Haiti’s private sector occupy both top executive positions. Saint-Cyr is a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti and the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Fils-Aimé previously led a national internet company and also served as president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Our country is going through one of the greatest crises in all its history,” Saint-Cyr said during the ceremony. “It’s not the time for beautiful speeches. It’s time to act.”

Shortly before the swearing-in, Jimmy Chérizier — known as “Barbecue” — leader of the Viv Ansanm gang federation, issued a video threatening to overthrow the government. Wearing a bulletproof vest and holding an assault rifle, Chérizier called on Haitians to allow his group free passage through neighborhoods toward the council’s office. “People of Haiti, take care of yourselves and help us … in the battle to free the country,” he said.

Gunfire erupted across several parts of the capital. Local media reported one person killed and another injured while driving into the city. A widely circulated video shows a woman’s body slumped in a car. Violent clashes continued Tuesday afternoon, including reports of small explosions from police-operated drones.

A crowd of Saint-Cyr’s supporters, wearing white T-shirts and carrying his photograph, gathered outside the council headquarters. Later, confrontations broke out between supporters and opponents. “Even though he’s a mulatto with good hair, he’s Haitian,” said one supporter, referencing Saint-Cyr’s place among the country’s lighter-skinned elite — as is Fils-Aimé.

Saint-Cyr emphasized restoring national security as a top priority. “We must restore state authority,” he said, calling on Haiti’s armed forces to increase operations and urging international partners to provide additional personnel, training, and equipment. He also issued a public demand to the prime minister: “Mister prime minister, assume your responsibilities!”

The UN-backed Multinational Security Support mission, led by Kenyan police, reported efforts to prevent attacks by increasing patrols and securing key infrastructure. The mission confirmed that two armored vehicles were lost after being trapped by trenches dug by gangs. Kenyan officers came under Molotov cocktail attack in the town of Kenscoff but “courageously held their ground, inflicting significant damage on the assailants.” Three officers sustained minor injuries.

Social media videos show suspected gang members laughing and celebrating around a destroyed armored vehicle. “Come get it back if you can!” one armed man is heard shouting.

In a report released Thursday, the UN mission detailed operational constraints. It currently has 991 personnel—less than half of the planned 2,500—and only 200 officers can be deployed at any time due to equipment shortages. The trust fund holds \$112 million, about 14% of the estimated \$800 million needed annually. The mission has no air support, further limiting response capabilities.

The mission also noted that “partisan infighting within the transitional government has had the effect of paralyzing the government and emboldening the gangs.”

Concerns about Haiti’s private sector leading the transition persist among the public. “The elites have always wanted power, and they have always wanted to control Haiti, and now they’re in control,” said Marline Jean-Pierre, a 44-year-old teacher who crossed a conflict zone to visit a hospital. “Nothing really happened,” she added, referring to previous transitional leaders. “Young women are being raped, families are being dismantled.”

Dozens of organizations from the United States and other countries sent a letter to Saint-Cyr denouncing the council’s failure to protect women and girls. “Collective rape is endemic,” the letter states, noting that sexual violence has escalated and that the state is “completely absent” at shelters where survivors seek help.

The humanitarian situation remains dire. Gangs in Kenscoff recently kidnapped eight people from an orphanage, including an Irish missionary and a three-year-old child, who remain missing. The United Nations estimates that more than 1.3 million people have been displaced since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

Between April and June 2025, at least 1,520 people were killed and more than 600 injured across Haiti. According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, over 60% of these casualties occurred during security operations against gangs, while another 12% were attributed to self-defense groups.

Haiti’s new transitional leadership faces a volatile landscape of escalating violence, fragile institutions, and deep public mistrust. As gangs tighten their grip and resources for international support remain limited, the road toward restoring stability remains uncertain.

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