Haiti's gang leader warns of 'chaos' if world doesn't give country 'a chance'
Haiti's most notorious gang leader has warned of "further chaos" if the world doesn't give the Caribbean country "a chance".
Jimmy Chérizier, leader of the notorious 'G9 and Family' gang, issued a chilling warning after weeks of violence that has seen government targets being attacked in the capital Port-au-Prince and also led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as 'Barbecue', made the chilling warning in a video, saying: "Today, we are taking the occasion to tell the international community to give Haiti a chance.
"Because what is happening in Haiti now, we Haitians have to decide who is going to lead the country and what model of government we want. We are going to figure out how to get Haiti out of the misery it is in now."
READ MORE: Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns as violence continues to grip Caribbean nation
The notorious gang leader with his men in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (AFP via Getty Images)He added: "If the international community continues on the road you are on now, it will plunge Haiti into further chaos." The gang leader had previously vowed to fight until PM Henry resigned.
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Last week, as his fighters destroyed police stations and other government facilities, 'Barbecue' — a nickname some claim he was given due to his penchant for setting his victims on fire, while he says it derives from his mum selling chicken — told his supporters: "I am ready to make an alliance with the devil, ready to sleep in the same bed as the devil."
Early on Tuesday, the PM announced he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, bowing to international pressure to save the country overwhelmed by violent gangs that some experts say have unleashed a low-scale civil war.
Charred vehicles as gang violence escalates in Port-au-Prince (AFP via Getty Images)Henry made the announcement hours after officials, including Caribbean leaders and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica to urgently discuss a solution to halt Haiti's spiralling crisis and agreed to a joint proposal to establish a transitional council. "The government that I'm running cannot remain insensitive in front of this situation. There is no sacrifice that is too big for our country," Henry said in a videotaped statement. "The government I'm running will remove itself immediately after the installation of the council."
The PM has been unable to enter Haiti because the violence closed its main international airports. He had arrived in Puerto Rico a week ago, after being barred from landing in the Dominican Republic, where officials said he lacked a required flight plan. Dominican officials also closed the airspace to flights to and from Haiti.
It was not immediately clear who would be chosen to lead Haiti out of the crisis. Scores of people have been killed, and more than 15,000 are homeless after fleeing neighbourhoods raided by gangs.
Police intervene with tear gas amid escalating violence (Anadolu via Getty Images)Powerful gangs have been attacking key government targets across Port-au-Prince since February 29. When the attacks began, Henry was in Kenya pushing for the United Nation's-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country after it was delayed by a court ruling.
Earlier on Monday, Blinken announced an additional $100million (£78million) to finance the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti. Blinken also announced another $33million (£25.8million) in humanitarian aid and the creation of a joint proposal agreed on by Caribbean leaders and "all of the Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition" to create a "presidential college".
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