Escalating gang violence cripples Haiti as embassies airlift staff

March 11, 2024 12:10 pm

A spiralling gang violence in Haiti has sparked fears among the international community that the Caribbean state could be descending into anarchy.

Over the weekend, heavily armed gangs attacked the National Palace and set part of the interior ministry on fire with petrol bombs.

The violence began last week when the rebel group invaded Haiti’s main prison in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, freeing nearly 4,000 inmates.

Another jail break happened in a second prison in Port-au-Prince that holds another 1,400 inmates.

A fibre optic cable was cut during the violence, shutting down internet service for many citizens.

The attacks occurred in the absence of Ariel Henry, embattled prime minister, who was in Kenya seeking support for a United Nations (UN)-backed Kenyan-led security force for Haiti.

The gangs have carried out sustained attacks on the international airport, which remains closed to all flights — including one that was supposed to bring back Henry.

Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, the country’s most notorious gang leader, said the violence will not stop until the prime minister resigns.

The absence of a prime minister and the disarray within the government have created a power vacuum, allowing Cherizier and his troops to seize near-absolute control of the capital.

“If Ariel Henry doesn’t step down and the international community continues to support him, they will lead us directly to a civil war which will end in genocide,” Cherizier said.

FOREIGN EMBASSIES AIRLIFT STAFF FROM HAITI

Before ascending the ranks to become Haiti’s most influential gang kingpin, Cherizier was expelled from the police force in 2018 for alleged involvement in a litany of crimes.

Some of the crimes included a horrific massacre in a slum called La Saline where 71 people were killed, seven women raped, and 400 homes torched.

The former hero-turned-villain now leads a gang alliance called the G9 Family and Allies and has denied any wrongdoing.

The G9 controls some of Port-au-Prince’s largest slums and most important road arteries, allowing Chérizier to paralyse the country on several occasions, cutting off petrol supplies and forcing schools and hospitals to close.

On Sunday, the United States said it had airlifted non-essential embassy staff from Haiti.

The German and European Union (EU) missions in Port-au-Prince have also evacuated diplomatic staff, including their ambassadors.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said the country’s healthcare system is “near collapse”, adding that many medical centres have been forced to reduce their operations due to violence and lack of personnel and medicine.

Should the violence persist, Haiti could be facing its biggest humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake.