FBI offers reward for capture of "Barbecue", leader of Haitian gang
The FBI has put a price on the head of Jimmy Chérizier, alias "Barbecue", Haiti's most well-known gang leader, as part of efforts to combat gang violence in the country.
FBI offers reward for capture of "Barbecue", leader of Haitian gang
The American federal authorities have announced a bounty for the arrest of Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed "Barbecue", considered to be Haiti's most famous gang leader. This decision comes in a context of escalating armed violence that has destabilised the country for several years.
Jimmy Chérizier leads the gang known as "G9 en famille et alliés", a coalition of armed groups that controls much of the capital Port-au-Prince. Under his leadership, the gangs have extended their grip over many neighbourhoods, perpetrating murders, kidnappings and violence of all kinds against the civilian population.
The FBI's putting a price on his head marks a turning point in the international strategy in response to Haiti's security crisis. The United States, which had already imposed economic sanctions against several Haitian gang leaders, is now moving to a direct repressive approach by targeting the emblematic figure of the gang phenomenon.
Armed gangs have become the principal actors in insecurity in Haiti, causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and paralyzing the country's economic and political activities. The international community, through missions such as the MSS led by Kenya, is attempting to respond to this threat, but results remain limited given the scale of the phenomenon.
The FBI's announcement could prompt informants to collaborate with the authorities, but Chérizier's capture remains a major challenge given the territorial control exercised by his organisation and the presumed links with political and economic circles in the country.
Source: Courrier International
Source: Google News HT — Port-au-Prince