Mexico City, Jun. 12, (dpa/GNA) – After months of deadlock in embattled Haiti, interim Prime Minister Garry Conille has formed a new cabinet, with the 14 names published in the country’s Official Gazette on Tuesday.

The new transitional government begins its work as the poverty-stricken Caribbean island nation faces one of its worst political and social crises to date.

Heavily armed gangs currently control most of the capital Port-au-Prince, which has been gripped by deadly violence for years.

The situation escalated in February when an alliance of different groups paralysed the city with a series of attacks. They also forced then caretaker prime minister Ariel Henry to turn back as he attempted to return from a trip abroad. He eventually agreed to resign in April.

The new caretaker government is tasked with paving the way for new elections, the country’s first since 2016.

In late May, Haiti’s transitional presidential council elected Conille, who had previously served as prime minister from September 2011 to May 2012, as interim prime minister to lead the Caribbean state out of the crisis.

Haiti has not had a head of state since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Due to cancelled elections, there also is no parliament.

In the new interim cabinet, Conille will also serve as interior minister.

Around half of Haiti’s 11 million inhabitants suffer from acute hunger. More than 360,000 have been internally displaced.

An international security mission led by Kenyan police officers and backed by the US expected to launch soon has been delayed several times.

GNA