Prime Minister Gaston Browne has suggested that engagement with gang leaders in Haiti could form part of efforts to restore stability in the violence-plagued nation.

Speaking following the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis, Browne said while international efforts to suppress armed gangs are necessary, dialogue should not be ruled out.

He welcomed the emerging initiative led by the United States and other partners aimed at addressing gang violence in Haiti, noting that restoring order is critical to hemispheric stability.

But Browne said he believes a Haitian-led solution could also involve bringing gang leaders “to the table.”

“I’ve been a little unconventional too in the sense that I also felt that perhaps the gang leaders should be also engaged,” Browne said during the ABS interview. “I’m not saying necessary to legitimize them, but to bring them to the table.”

He referenced his own experience in Antigua and Barbuda, where he said he engaged youth gangs despite criticism that such dialogue was inappropriate for a prime minister.

“Some people took the puritanic position that, as a prime minister, I should not engage them. But I did, and I believe it was the right thing to do,” Browne said, adding that many of those individuals are now “productively engaged, some in school, some working.”

Haiti has been grappling with escalating gang control over large sections of the capital and surrounding areas, prompting regional and international discussions on security interventions.

Browne said while enforcement efforts are essential, inclusive dialogue could help pave the way for a more sustainable resolution led by Haitians themselves.