Haiti: Barbecue gang leader threatens ‘bloody’ civil war

Haiti, America’s poorest country, faces a deep political, humanitarian and worsening security crisis. While current Prime Minister Ariel Henry is abroad, gangs that control entire areas of the island and the capital Port-au-Prince announced last week that they were uniting against the government. Since then, they have carried out attacks on infrastructure and strategic targets. The capital has been under a state of emergency and curfew since Sunday after these armed gangs released thousands of detainees.

A situation that is becoming increasingly alarming. A 46-year-old former police officer turned powerful Haitian gang leader who calls himself “Barbecue” on Tuesday threatened the country with a bloody “civil war” if controversial Prime Minister Ariel Henry remains in power. “If he does not resign, if the international community continues to support him, we are heading straight towards a civil war that will lead to genocide,” Jimmy Cherizier threatened. “We must unite. “Either Haiti will be heaven for all of us, or hell for all of us,” he added, wearing a bulletproof vest, holding a gun and surrounded by hooded men likely belonging to an alliance of armed gangs nicknamed the G9 Family. . The gangs estimate they control 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.

The threat was taken very seriously by the UN, which placed Barbecue under sanctions. According to the UN Security Council programme, a closed-door meeting on this issue will be held this Wednesday. Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN representative in Haiti, will provide them with an update on the situation remotely. This new “escalation” of violence would force about 15,000 people to flee their homes in Port-au-Prince, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric explained in New York on Tuesday, adding that aid workers had begun distributing food and other essentials to three new displaced people. displaced people. places.

Gangs attacked a police academy in Haiti’s capital on Tuesday after attempting to seize Toussaint Louverture International Airport the day before. Already last year, more than 8,400 people were victims of gang violence, killed, injured or kidnapped, “a 122% increase since 2022,” according to the UN.

Acknowledging the abuses committed by gang members, the Barbecue leader called on society to move forward: “Yes, we recognize that the gunmen committed acts that were harmful to society, but I think society must forgive them and come together to reimagine a new Haiti.” – he said.

Prime Minister stuck abroad

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is reportedly stuck abroad. Last week he traveled to Nairobi to sign an agreement to send Kenyan police officers to Haiti as part of an international mission backed by the United Nations and the United States.

For its part, the US State Department announced on Monday that Ariel Henry was returning to Port-au-Prince. But, according to Haitian media Radio Télé Métronome, he was unable to land in the capital due to security problems at the airport. According to Dominican media CDN, the prime minister’s private plane, which took off from the US state of New Jersey, landed in Puerto Rico after it was denied landing in the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighboring country. Relations between the two countries are tense.

Kenyan President William Ruto told Americans and local officials that he could deploy troops to assist Haitian police within 72 hours, according to a Miami media report.