Businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime has been sworn in as Haiti's new prime minister, promising to tackle the country's urgent security challenges and restore stability after his predecessor, Garry Conille, was ousted just five months into office.

Conille's tenure was marred by a power struggle with Haiti's transitional council over ministerial appointments, ultimately leading to his removal.

Taking office on Monday, Fils-Aime addressed the nation's ongoing crises, stressing the need to prioritize security.

"We have a transition with lots of work to do: the first essential job, which is a condition for success, is restoring security," he declared in his inaugural speech, vowing to bring his "energy, skills, and patriotism" to Haiti's cause.

Haiti's interim government, led by an unelected transitional council with "backing" from the US and other regional powers, is tasked with stabilizing the country and paving the way for presidential elections next year.

Rampant gang violence

The leadership transition occurs in the wake of escalating gang violence, with armed groups now controlling roughly 80% of Port-au-Prince.

Despite recent support from a Kenyan-led police mission, violence has surged, with a United Nations report documenting over 1,200 deaths from July through September.

Kidnappings and sexual violence continue to afflict communities, displacing over 700,000 people, half of whom are children, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Read more: 5 children killed in Haiti every week due to continuous gang violence

The nation's security crisis took an alarming turn on Monday when gunfire struck a Spirit Airlines flight attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, forcing it to divert to the Dominican Republic. A flight attendant suffered minor injuries, though all passengers were unharmed.

This incident conveys the level of insecurity in the capital, where gang factions have fortified their territories with trenches, drones, and improvised explosive devices.

Power vacuum 

The political vacuum in Haiti remains vast, with no sitting parliament and a presidency unfilled since the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Haiti's political leaders to work constructively, stressing the need for a unified approach to ensure a peaceful transition.

His spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, remarked, "It's not for the Secretary-General to choose who will be the prime minister of Haiti…What is important is that Haitian political leaders put the interests of Haiti first and foremost."

Read more: Violence still rising in Haiti despite support mission: UN

As Fils-Aime assumes office, Haiti's future hinges on his government's ability to curb gang violence and ensure safe conditions for next year's elections.

Yet with the country's past marked by instability and worsening humanitarian conditions, the path forward remains fraught with challenges for the new administration.