Haiti's top gang boss warns of 'genocide' in his fight to topple government
Haiti's powerful gang boss has warned of "genocide" unless the prime minister steps down as he fights to topple the government.
Jimmy Chérizier, known as "Barbecue," claims the violence engulfing Port-au-Prince will lead to "civil war" if Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was supposed to resign last month, continues in his role. Prime Minister Ariel Henry travelled abroad last week to try to salvage support for bringing in a United Nations-backed security force to stabilize the country in its conflict with increasingly powerful crime groups.
He is struggling to fly back home after the main airport was under attack and the neighbouring Dominican Republic refused permission for him to land. Henry is said to have fled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as gangs run rampant in his home country.
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A protester runs past burning tires during a demonstration calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince (AFP via Getty Images)He told the press: "We'll fight Ariel Henry until the last drop of blood, we'll fight until he resigns. I am ready to make an alliance with the devil, ready to sleep in the same bed as the devil. Our goal is to break the system. [...] Either Haiti becomes a paradise for all of us, or a hell for all of us."
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The ex-cop added: "If Ariel Henry doesn’t resign, if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide. [...] It’s out of the question for a small group of rich people living in big hotels to decide the fate of people living in working-class neighbourhoods."
At least a dozen people died as gang members attacked the main prison in Haiti's capital (AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)Doctors Without Borders (MSF) revealed yesterday it was boosting its numbers in the Haitian capital following a surge in casualties linked to the violence engulfing Port-au-Prince. "The 50 beds in our hospital in Tabarre have all been occupied since the beginning of February, but on February 28 the situation worsened and we had to increase the bed capacity to 75," said MSF head of mission Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho. "We are receiving an average of five to 10 new cases a day, and we are working at the limits of our capacity."
On Tuesday, a police academy where over 800 cadets are training, came under attack by an armed gang. According to Lionel Lazarre, of the Haitian police union, the attack was soon dismissed after the arrival of reinforcements.
Meanwhile, the violence has left 250 Curbands stranded in Port-au-Prince after their flights were cancelled, the Havana office of Sunrise Airways said. One 34-year-old Cuban passenger said: "When we were about to board the plane, they realised that the plane had a bullet hole."
Armed gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier is trying to overthrow the prime minister (AFP via Getty Images)The government has declared a state of emergency and nighttime curfew, while the U.N. Security Council was set to hold an emergency meeting Wednesday. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called this week for "urgent action, particularly in providing financial support for the multinational security support mission."
After gangs opened fire at Haiti’s international airport last week, the U.S. Embassy said it was halting all official travel to the country and on Sunday night urged all American citizens to depart as soon as possible. AT Miami and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports, all flights in and out of Haiti's two airports are axed. However, despite multiple warnings, many Haitian Americans are still on the island.
The Biden administration, which has steadfastly refused to commit troops to any multinational force while offering instead money and logistical support, said it was monitoring the rapidly deteriorating security situation with grave concern.
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