#49 - PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 2024: Refusing to give in
The year 2024 in resistance mode, pre-carnival in Jacmel, Roody Roodboy reggae, 15 years since the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, funerals for 2 murdered journalists and lasting peace in Cité-Soleil
In November, a woman walks in the Poste-Marchand district, a few days after an attack by an armed group. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The year 2024 will go down as one of the most trying in Haiti's recent history. In Port-au-Prince and elsewhere, culture, sports and small businesses held firm, reminding us that, even in the darkest times, artistic expression and the will to live never fade. Through these photos, we retrace a year of struggle and hope, in which each image bears witness to a country that refuses to give up. This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #49 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO.
HAITI WEEKLY by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
A word from the editor: Last year was a hard year for the entire DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO team. Many of us were forced to leave our homes because of the armed conflict. In Port-au-Prince, the situation left us with a daily sense of loss, bordering on grief. But the vital impulse did not falter, and new forms of solidarity were born in the streets. As the year drew to a close, the En lisant festival posed an essential question: what if it were only to be reborn?
Summary #49
Photos of the Year: Culture
Photos of the Year: Sports and Society
Photos of the Year: Landscapes
Photos of the Year: News and Politics
Pre-Carnival Celebrations Begin in Jacmel
Music Video of the Week - Nostalji by Roody Roodboy
The 15th Anniversary of January 12: Intimate Commemorations at Maison Dufort
Sobs and Anger at the Funeral of Two Murdered Journalists
A Fragile But Lasting Peace in Cité-Soleil
Photos of the Year: Culture
Haitian culture sailed through 2024 with unwavering strength. Artists, musicians, photographers and dancers continued to inspire the country, refusing to let the crisis stifle their creativity. In Port-au-Prince, Jérémie, Pétion-Ville and Delmas, concerts brought crowds together, exhibitions marked symbolic anniversaries and performances gave voice to the realities of the moment. Art in Haiti remains a pillar, a space for expression and unity, despite all the difficulties.
Emerging DJ competition organized by Guiness beer, August 27 in Port-au-Prince, won by Nickid (left). Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Concert by Pawòl Tanbou to celebrate the launch of his latest album, Renesans, on September 26 in Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Singer Dener Céide and his group Zafèm in concert in Jérémie, Jacmel and Pétion-Ville in August (photo). Photo: Josué Visual
Edouard Baptiste in the play ABCD ou Ange etc at the En lisant theater festival in December. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Daniel Marcelin in the play Quelques part in December à Port-au-Prince, as part of the Festival Quatre chemins. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Singer and ougan Erol Josué, also director of the Bureau national d'ethnologie, in concert at the Port-au-Prince Jazz Festival in January. Photo: Josué Azor / K2D
The famous singer Darline Desca in concert on June 21 in Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photo exhibition by Josué Azor, on August 31 in Port-au-Prince, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the K2D collective. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
One of the year's musical revelations, rapper Watson-G performed numerous concerts across the country last summer. Photo Ketlain Difficile / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Dance party in the hills above Kenscoff, last September. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Dancers at an open-air festival in September. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Singer Shelo Pleb and his band in concert, September 12, Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photo exhibition by Georges Harry Rouzier of the K2D collective, September 28, Delmas. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Evangelical music fans at a concert in Delmas, in October. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Ray Pa Klè photo exhibition, as part of the 10th anniversary of the K2D collective, late October. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Winner of an amateur music contest organized last January by the Port-au-Prince Jazz Festival, singer Fameuse Maude; she took part in numerous events in 2024, here at the closing ceremony of the Festival Quatre chemins, on December 7, in Pétion-Ville. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Over 200 exhibitors took part in the two-day Artisanats en fête event in Pétion-Ville in December. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Rosena Josselin Orys is one of the artists supporting singer Wiliadel Denervil at the concert to mark the launch of her latest album, in Delmas on October 13. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The play ABCD ou Ange etc, in December, as part of the En lisant Festival. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Singer Vanessa Jeudy, at the closing concert of the En lisant Festival, December 19. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photos of the Year: Sports and Society
Figures on motorcycles and four-wheelers in Pétion-Ville, in July. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Inline skating acrobatics in Pétion-Ville. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Manbos and ougans gathered to honor Lakou Souvnans, in April, in Artibonite. Photo: François Ponticq
Schoolgirls celebrate the Haitian flag on May 1st. Photo: Andoo Lafond / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The sometimes perilous Kay-Jak mountain crossing, on the Kenscoff-Seguin road, May 5. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Crowd gathered for a foutbòl match on September 22, in Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photo of the construction of the Ouanaminthe canal walls. Photo: Jéthro-Claudel Pierre / Nord-Est Info
A vodou practitioner during a ceremony. Photo: Françoise Ponticq
Swimming in the river at Jet-d'eau in the South-East department, in August. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Plastering of the Ouanaminthe canal walls to be completed by the end of 2023. Photo : Jéthro-Claudel Jeanty / Nord-Est Info
Soccer [foutbòl] match during an amateur final in Port-au-Prince, September 22. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Four-wheel acrobatics in Pétion-Ville, September 9. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Cherry sellers, early October in Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A vodou priestess (manbo) possessed by a lwa, in November. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
An adulator of the lwa Gede, in November, in Pétion-Ville. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Vodou offering to the lwas (ancestors) for the Feast of the Dead, Pétion-Ville. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A couple dance in the middle of the street in front of an exhibition venue, December 21. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
High school students celebrate the end of year exams in Place Saint-Pierre, Pétion-Ville, on August 8. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A couple of vodou practitioners seated under a tree during a ceremony in Artibonite this spring. Photo : François Ponticq
Taking advantage of the media attention surrounding the end of classes last August, some students are denouncing their learning conditions. Photo : Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photos of the Year: Landscapes
Although tourists are becoming rarer, Haiti's beaches and landscapes remain magnificent. Cap-Haïtien has become the most popular tourist destination, thanks to its international airport, which is still operational, and Royal Caribbean cruises, which have resumed their activities at Labadie after a few months of interruption. With a new connection to Cap-Haïtien, the city of Les Cayes has also been able to welcome some tourists. However, travel by road between Port-au-Prince and other regions remains perilous.
Boats linking the village of Labadie are moored in front of the Royal Caribbean Cruises cruise ship last winter. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A glimpse of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship from inside another boat. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A motorcyclist carries parcels from Port-au-Prince along the last remaining dirt road, which winds its way over the mountain tops towards the Caribbean coast. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Young people watching the sunset from the beach in the village of Labadie. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The Kenscoff-Seguin route is best explored on foot. Here, at the entrance to Seguin. Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Photos of the Year: News and Politics
The year began in March with the takeover of downtown Port-au-Prince by armed groups, preceded by the liberation of the national penitentiary and its nearly 3,000 prisoners. A cat-and-mouse game ensued between Haitian security forces and armed groups.
Supported by the army and a new international force composed mainly of Kenyan police officers, the national police managed to establish a base at the bottom of the Delmas boulevard, but had to retreat in the face of gangs in the Nazon and Solino districts, provoking another mass exodus of the population. Two massacres that claimed dozens of victims in Artibonite and Wharf Jérémie (Port-au-Prince) deeply shook the country.
A man removes furniture from a store he is preparing to close, in front of the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, two days after the attack on the prison and the escape of nearly 3,000 prisoners. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
After resuming much of its commercial activity, the carrefour Aéroport in Port-au-Prince was abandoned by merchants and drivers in mid-November. Photo : Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A Kenyan anti-gang policeman in front of a pharmacy in downtown Port-au-Prince, on July 29. Photo : Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Abandoned buses in mid-July, in front of Port-au-Prince's Sylvio Cator stadium, at the entrance to the Portail Léogane bus station, deserted at the beginning of the year. Photo : Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Fritz Alphonse Jean and Leslie Voltaire (on screen) at the inauguration ceremony of the new Transitional Presidential Council in Port-au-Prince, May 4. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A car drives past the Superior Court of Accounts building on an abandoned street in downtown Port-au-Prince on March 4, as shopkeepers and residents leave the area following the takeover by armed groups. Photo: Étienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A displaced family reunited last November under a tarpaulin on the roof of the Office de la protection du citoyen, transformed into a camp. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Nearly forty thousand people were forced to leave their homes in early November, due to attacks in Solino and Nazon. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
On December 12, a motorcyclist rides behind security force vehicles in front of the carrefour Aéroport viaduct, which borders the Solino district. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The ruins of Port-au-Prince Cathedral, October 15. They are located in a neighborhood that came under the control of armed criminal groups in early 2024. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A woman carries a bucket in front of a container set up on avenue John-Brown (Lalue) by the authorities, to restrict traffic between neighborhoods controlled by armed groups and the rest of the city. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Residents of the Bel-Air district march past the former Capitol cinema to reach their neighborhood on October 10. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The Groupe d'appui aux rapatriés et réfugiés haïtiens (GARR) holds a press conference in October to denounce the treatment of Haitian citizens repatriated from the Dominican Republic. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A convoy of Haitian soldiers circulates on September 18 at the Champ-de-Mars, in front of the tower inaugurated in 2004 to mark the 200th anniversary of Haitian independence. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A Multinational Security Force armored vehicle (left) and two National Police vehicles at the crossroads of rue Saint-Honoré and rue Monseigneur-Guilloux, Port-au-Prince, September 9. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A cleaning crew works in front of the army headquarters on Champ-de-Mars, July 30. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Clean-up operation near Port-au-Prince's Sylvio-Cator stadium, mid-July. Photo : Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
People observe a clean-up operation on avenue Monseigneur-Guilloux, Port-au-Prince, in July. Houses were destroyed by the authorities on suspicion of having been used as hideouts by armed groups. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Political activist Magalie Habitant answers journalists' questions during a street-cleaning operation on July 11. She was arrested in early 2025 for her alleged links with armed criminal groups. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Clean-up operation on July 10 in front of the Port-au-Prince General Hospital, whose walls are riddled with bullets. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
A bus chartered on March 4 to carry the mattresses of a person forced to leave her neighborhood, passes the still burning bodies of alleged gang members murdered in Port-au-Prince. Photo: Etienne Côté-Paluck / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Pre-Carnival Celebrations Begin in Jacmel
A dance troupe at the pre-carnival parade in Jacmel on January 19. Photo: Andoo Lafond / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Like other regions, Jacmel began its pre-Carnival celebrations on January 19 and 26. In keeping with tradition, each Sunday following the commemorations of the January 12th earthquake is dedicated to parades leading up to the big carnival.
In an explosion of colors and rhythms, dance troupes, lansèt kòd and brass bands, representing the various districts of Jacmel and the surrounding area parade through the streets. Despite an atmosphere that is once again marked by the crisis shaking the country, the carnival artisans - guarantors of this deeply rooted tradition - have been working all year to create the works and costumes that will be unveiled during the festivities. This year's Jacmel carnival will take place on Sunday, February 23, one week before the official (or “national”) carnival celebrated throughout the country.
Every Sunday, the pre-carnival parade follows the same route as the carnival. Photo: Andoo Lafond / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
In Port-au-Prince, all eyes are on Pétion-Ville, where the celebrations could take place. In the last few days, to everyone's surprise, armed groups from the Carrefour area have also organized a pre-carnival parade, with machine guns in hand.
Dance troupes, lansèt kòd and brass bands in Jacmel on January 19 (1) and January 26 (2, 3, 4, 5). Photos: Andoo Lafond / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
“I only trust in God. Afterwards, I don't know if I still have hope... but I'm Haitian, and I'd certainly like my country to change.”
These words, taken from an interview with a woman, open the video for Nostalji [Nostalgia], Roody Roodboy's new song that marks his comeback with a reggae beat.
“Good God, have you forsaken us?” he sings in the chorus, before adding, ”Have you forgotten us? Did you even look?” A cry from the heart that resonates with the uncertainty and desperation of a population searching for answers.
Throughout the song, Roody Roodboy lists the difficulties Haitians face: “We have the same skin color, but we got caught up in a conspiracy. Everywhere, it's war.” He also talks about the places and activities that were once part of everyday life, but are now out of the control of the authorities.
15th Anniversary of January 12: Intimate Commemorations at Maison Dufort
Ceremony to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the January 12 earthquake, at Maison Dufort. Photo : Robertho Pierre / FOKAL
On January 12, a ceremony was held at Maison Dufort with a number of dignitaries and artists to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince and several surrounding regions. The commemoration offered a moment of meditation and remembrance.
Between songs and drum beats, poignant speeches recalled the scale of the tragedy and the strength with which the survivors have carried on. A video recording of the ceremony was broadcast this week on FOKAL's social networks.
Photos: Robertho Pierre / FOKAL
Sobs and Anger at the Funeral of Two Murdered Journalists
Funeral for journalist Marckendy Natoux, January 18, Port-au-Prince. Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo.
In mid-January, the funerals of the two journalists murdered by a criminal gang at the Hôpital Général de Port-au-Prince (HUEH) on December 24 were marked by emotion and frustration. Several reporters had been targeted as they awaited the arrival of the then Minister of Health, who has since been dismissed as a result of the incident.
Photo: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mön Enfo
The murders sparked outrage in Haiti’s political and media establishment, as well as among many journalists' associations abroad. A police officer was also killed in the attack.
Funeral for journalist Jimmy Jean at Saint-Pierre church in Pétion-Ville, January 16. Photos: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
Families, colleagues and loved ones, including many journalists, were inconsolable at the funerals of Jimmy Jean, celebrated on January 16 at Saint-Pierre church in Pétion-Ville, and of Marckendy Natoux on January 18 at Dieu Boulard church in Port-au-Prince.
Funeral for journalist Marckendy Natoux at the Dieu Boulard church in Port-au-Prince on January 18. Photos: Jean Elie Fortiné / Dèyè Mòn Enfo
The truce agreement between armed groups in Cité-Soleil seems to have held since last summer, allowing a gradual resumption of activities in this commune on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. The former rival groups now coexist and even share certain activities.
The Brooklyn market, located on a line of conflict, long paralyzed by violence, is gradually regaining its dynamism after several years of almost total closure.
Photo: Donley Jean-Simon / Dèyè Mön Enfo
At A Glance: The Grand Final of the Prestige Konpa Contest Approaches
T-Jo Zenny with a show contributor. Photo : Robertho Pierre / Prestige Konpa
Singer T-Jo Zenny, leader of the group Kreyol La, was one of the guests on the first special edition of Radio Télévision Caraïbes (RTVC)'s Playlist The Show, dedicated every Sunday for a month to the finalists of the Prestige Konpa competition for emerging artists.
Show host Ricardo Nicolas. Photo : Robertho Pierre / Prestige Konpa
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon Special collaboration: Josué Visual, Josué Azor, Robertho Pierre, Ketlain Difficile, Jéthro-Claudel Jeanty, François Ponticq, Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
Your monthly support helps to finance the production and pay the salaries of the DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO staff in the communities of Cité-Soleil, Port-au-Prince and Cayes-Jacmel. In addition, donations are regularly distributed for medical expenses, school fees and other emergencies in these communities.
Press Reviews
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to HAITI WEEKLY by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.