A nightly curfew has been declared by Haiti’s government!
Two prisons, one in the capital of Port-au-Prince and another in nearby Croix-des-Bouquets, were invaded by armed gang members. Notorious gangs took control by tormenting the citizens of the city and detaching the international port area from the rest of the country.
Port-au-Prince:
This weekend, at least 12 deaths have been noted in Port-au-Prince, and thousands of inmates escaped the prison. The prison was built for 700 prisoners and was holding over 3,600 prisoners, as per several media reports before the breakout. There were only 100 inmates who opted to remain in the cell, and the rest escaped, as confirmed by authorities. The police department took this very seriously and will do everything in its power to capture the fleeing prisoners and arrest those who are responsible.
Croix-des-Bouquets:
On the other hand, Croix-des-Bouquets, which contains around 1400 inmates, was also bust-opened by the armed gang on the same night. According to the Haitian National Police,. The recent events mark an increase in the already high levels of violence in the country. Murders and kidnappings have been on the rise. On February 29th, these gangs planned a series of coordinated attacks to weaken the Haitian National Police and overrule the Prime Minister.
Late Saturday afternoon, gunfire erupted in the downtown neighborhood. The gang members executed their plan to bust the prison. There are dozens of gang members engaged in the battle on the streets and inside the prison. They overpowered the police force, which was only assigned to guard the facility. As the situation is going out of control for them to deal with, they issued a plea on social media to get further support from any officers with vehicles, weapons, and ammunition to overcome this surge. This gunfire lasted for hours until there were no prisoners left inside the prison. There were 4 bodies of policemen who died in this gunfight.
The gang is planning to take over full control of the capital, and they have already succeeded in 80% of that. One of the gang leaders described these attacks as a direct threat to the government’s ability to challenge Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. In ongoing chaos, Haiti’s government declared a 72-hour state of emergency from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. to restore order and take appropriate measures to regain control.
Jimmy Cherizier, aka Barbecue, a former police officer from Haiti, turned into a powerful gang leader and took the pledge on Friday to fight alongside the state as long as it needed and asked families to be safe at home.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry is on a trip to Kenya, looking for a U.N.-backed security force to help the country after deadly gang violence. While Boisvert is in temporary charge of the Haitian government.
Missed deadline for election:
February 7 was the expected date for a newly elected government to assume power in Haiti. This was part of an agreement between Henry’s government and a coalition comprising influential figures from Haiti’s civil society and business sectors. Henry urges citizens to remain patient and work together for Haiti. Very soon, the government will focus on creating conditions for organizing elections. General elections are to be held no later than August 31, 2025. The announcement made by Caricom leaders last week stated Henry’s agreement with the proposed timeline.
Scepticism towards foreign military interventions:
In Haiti, there’s deep scepticism towards foreign military interventions. Because UN peacekeepers are always associated with sex abuse scandals and the introduction of cholera, which resulted in fatalities.
Unclear operation of a Kenyan-led mission:
It’s unclear how the Kenyan-led mission will operate. Precautions regarding human rights by its forces remain unclear.
Coincidence with Henry’s visit to Nairobi:
The latest wave of gang violence coincided with Henry’s visit to Nairobi last week to sign an agreement to form a foundation for this mission. If the promised 1,000-plus troops arrive, they are expected to challenge gang control. This could potentially renew hope for change in Haiti and provide time for the embattled premier.
If the mission doesn’t arrive promptly, experts and government insiders warn that pressure over Haiti’s violence is likely to continue.
