October 22nd 2023.
After nearly two years of being on the run from authorities, Joseph Badio, a former employee of the Ministry of Justice, was arrested in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti on October 19. Badio was in the anti-corruption unit of the Haitian government until he was fired for alleged ethics violations a few weeks before the president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated.
Moïse was shot twelve times in his private home, which left the country in political turmoil. This event led to the arrest of several people in connection with the killing, including Badio. Eleven men are currently being held in the United States, including former Haitian senator John Joël Joseph, who are being accused of conspiring to remove Moïse in order to benefit from a different administration.
Joseph has already pleaded guilty to charges relating to the assassination of Moïse, and his sentencing date is December 19. Rodolphe Jaar and German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, who have both pleaded guilty, were sentenced to life in June 2023 and October 27, respectively.
The assassination of Moïse set off a series of gang-related violence in Haiti, which prompted Prime Minister Ariel Henry to petition the United Nations to send troops to help protect the citizens of Haiti. Kenya has been the main contributor to the troops, but they have not yet declared a date of deployment.
The BBC reports that Moïse was murdered in his bedroom by Colombian mercenaries, who have either been arrested or killed. One of the mercenaries named Badio as the one who ordered the hit.
The Brookings Institution notes that the Haitian police and politicians have strong ties with the gangs that are terrorizing the capital. The willingness of other countries to send armed forces is low, and this is evident in Kenya's lack of action. The political situation in Haiti is uncertain, and the gangs have been used to serve the needs of the government in many administrations. The police are dissatisfied with Henry's leadership and do not have the necessary resources to control the violence that its citizens are facing.
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