CARICOM EPG urges patriotism, unity among Haitians as Transitional Council mandate ends February
CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana
As the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council in troubled Haiti comes to an end on February 7, 2026, the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has called on all stakeholders to demonstrate patriotism and agree on a Haitian-led consensual alternative transitional process.
The CARICOM EPG, which made the call in a statement on Friday, January 9, 2026, expressed serious concern with what it called the “tardiness of the stakeholders to find a common ground and coalesce around a Haitian-led consensual agreement on an alternative transitional process despite the points of convergence in the multiple proposals made public.”
The statement, issued by the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana, while acknowledging the sustained efforts of CARICOM and the international community towards supporting a Haitian-led process, stressed the need for demonstration of patriotism above all other sentiments by stakeholders “if Haitians are to determine their own destiny.”
It noted that the EPG “has continued to render its good offices to Haitian stakeholders as they address the myriad political, security and institutional challenges currently facing Haiti,” being particularly mindful of the fast-approaching end of the Transitional Council’s mandate.
The Group concluded that “It is vital that stakeholders, civil society and the people of Haiti reach a consensus before 7 February, 2026. A failure to do so could lead to unwanted repercussions. Time is, therefore, of the essence!”
The Transitional Council was established in April 2024 with a mandate to restore order amid extreme gang violence. It was also tasked with appointing a new Prime Minister and preparing for elections by February 2026.
However, internal conflicts and security challenges, leading to new leadership appointments, have not allowed the Council to fully discharge its mandate, and these challenges are jeopardizing the target of holding the first general elections in the country since 2016, in February this year.
