Haiti capital Port-au-Prince gripped by chaos as armed gangs kill police, vow to oust prime minister

Port-au-Prince — Gun battles throughout the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince Thursday left 4 cops lifeless as a distinguished gang chief mentioned a coordinated assault by armed teams was underway to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Pictures have been heard throughout the town as authorities battled assailants who had focused police stations, together with two that have been set on hearth, in addition to a police academy and the Toussaint-Louverture Worldwide Airport.

“At this time, we announce that each one armed teams are going to behave to get Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down,” gang chief Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherisier mentioned in a video posted on social media earlier than the assaults started.

“We are going to use all methods to attain this objective,” he mentioned. “We declare duty for the whole lot that is taking place within the streets proper now.”

A police union official advised AFP that along with the 4 officers killed, 5 have been injured.

Armed gangs have taken over total swaths of the nation lately, unleashing brutal violence that has left the Haitian economic system and public well being system in tatters.

On the identical time, the Caribbean nation has been engulfed in widespread civil and political unrest, with hundreds taking to the streets in latest weeks to demand Henry step down after he refused to take action as scheduled.

Beneath a political deal reached following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Haiti was supposed to carry elections and Henry cede energy to newly elected officers by February 7 of this yr, however that hasn’t occurred.

Henry is at present in Kenya, which is shifting to move up a multinational mission greenlit by the United Nations Safety Council to assist Haitian police wrest again management of the nation.

The worldwide drive — dubbed the Multinational Safety Assist Mission or “MSS” — is being despatched on the request of the Haitian authorities and U.N. Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres. It will likely be tasked with defending hospitals, colleges, airports, ports and site visitors intersections along with the Haitian Nationwide Police. 

Faculties, universities and companies in Haiti halted their actions because the unrest escalated on Thursday. At one level, college students on the State College of Haiti have been briefly taken hostage earlier than being launched, a dean advised AFP. A minimum of one pupil was shot and wounded within the combating, he added.

A number of airways canceled home and worldwide flights after plane and an airport terminal got here beneath hearth.

U.N. Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres mentioned Thursday that along with restoration of security, an answer was wanted for Haiti’s years of political turmoil.

“You may put as many police forces as potential in Haiti (however) if there is no such thing as a political resolution, the issue won’t be solved,” he mentioned within the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines forward of the Neighborhood of Latin American and Caribbean States summit.

Prime Minister Henry on Wednesday had agreed to “share energy” with the opposition till contemporary elections are held, although a date hasn’t been set.

5 nations have mentioned they’re keen to hitch the Kenya-led multinational policing mission, together with the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad.