Overview:
Confirmed Thursday by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to Haiti, Dennis Hankins steps into his role at a time when the Caribbean nation faces dire challenges, and many Haitians oppose the international community's proposals, such as a presidential council and the deployment of a multinational security mission force led by Kenya, both of which the U.S. supports.
CAP-HAITIEN — The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dennis B. Hankins as the new ambassador to Haiti as the country grapples with intensifying political instability, gang violence, a hunger crisis and the fallout from Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation.
“This is a critical time to make sure that we have an ambassador in place,” National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters on Thursday, according to the Miami Herald. “We certainly urgently need him in place.”
Hankins, a veteran diplomat with approximately 40 years of experience, won the final bipartisan vote in a roll call vote of 89 to 1, as reported by CNN. He succeeds Michele Sison, making him the first U.S. ambassador to Haiti since October 2021. The role was temporarily filled by Eric Stromayer as the chargé d’affaires from July 2022.
The ambassadorial post in Haiti has been a subject of controversy recently. Hankins’ predecessor, Sison, faced criticism from Haitian citizens who blamed her for the country’s various crises and accused her of overstepping boundaries in Haiti’s affairs.
The complexities of diplomatic work in Haiti were further highlighted when U.S. special envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, resigned from his post in September 2021 after two months in office. Foote has since openly criticized the U.S. for meddling in Haiti’s affairs on X (formerly Twitter) and in interviews.
Hankins steps into his role at a time when Haiti faces dire challenges, and many Haitians oppose the international community’s proposals, such as a 7-member Transitional Presidential Council and a multinational security mission force led by Kenya, both of which the U.S. supports.
As security concerns mount, a specialized U.S. Marine unit has been deployed at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince to reinforce security.
Hankins brings to his new post a wealth of diplomatic experience, particularly from Africa. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Guinea from 2015 to 2019 and as U.S. Ambassador to Mali from 2019 to 2022. Fluent in French, Hankins also has prior experience in Haiti, having served as the nonimmigrant visa chief and the refugee coordinator in the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince early in his career.
Hankins’ nomination by President Joe Biden in May 2023 followed outreach to at least two other diplomats who declined the offer or dropped out due to the lengthy process, according to the Miami Herald. As Hankins assumes his new role, he carries the heavy responsibility of navigating the turbulent waters of Haitian politics and society.