Haiti Blasts Macron’s Criticism Of Transition Council

Haiti’s Foreign Minister met the French Ambassador to the nation on Thursday over French President Emmanuel Macron’s “inappropriate and unfriendly” comments.

What Did Macron Say?

The Foreign ministry branded Macron’s comments at the G20 summit in Brazil, as “unfriendly and inappropriate”.

On Wednesday, Macron said that the recent decision of the Caribbean country’s transitional presidential council to oust the Prime Minister was “completely dumb.”

“Honestly, it is Haitians who killed Haiti by letting in drug trafficking,” Macron was filmed saying in Brazil.

Macron Praised Garry Conille

The French President made these remarks before hailing ex-Prime Minister Garry Conille as a great leader.

Conille was ousted amid divisions with the council

“They are completely dumb, they should never have fired him,” he said.

Outrage Over The French President’s Remarks

His remarks sparked outrage in Haiti, a former French colony.

After Haiti freed itself from slavery and declared independence in 1804, it paid France a “debt” for lost property.

Activists are seeking French reparations for the debt, which many blame for Haiti’s economic and political turmoil.

Haiti’s former Prime Minister Conille, before taking the post earlier this year, was a top U.N. official.

Infighting And Charges Of Corruption

He was replaced by entrepreneur and former senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aime.

This was a fresh blow to stability in a nation with a deeply fragmented political class.

Haiti’s leadership has been wracked by infighting.

Three members of the transitional presidential council – tasked with restoring security and paving the way for elections – have been accused of corruption.

They remain in their posts.

Speaking in Chile on Thursday, Macron appeared to soften his tone.

Assurance Of Support

He vowed that “France will never turn its face from a crisis … There will never be a double standard in face of tragedy, be it in Haiti, Venezuela or at the gates of Europe.”

France has pledged 4 million euros ($4.2 million) to a U.N. fund financing a deeply under-resourced security mission mandated to help restore security in Haiti, and funding for French and Creole classes for its troops.

Haiti’s Foreign Ministry said that in the meeting, French Ambassador Antoine Michon promised that France would stay by Haiti’s side to help restore security and carry out elections.

(With inputs from Reuters)