Port-au-Prince paralysed by gang threats following police operation
Haitian gangs have threatened fresh attacks following a raid against the "400 Mawozo" gang. Schools closed, transport sparse, embassies working remotely on Monday.
Port-au-Prince slowing after threats from "Viv ansanm"
According to ledevoir.com, life in Port-au-Prince has come to a virtual standstill on Monday after the gang coalition "Viv ansanm" threatened fresh attacks in retaliation for a police operation carried out on Friday in the suburbs of the Haitian capital.
In a video circulated over the weekend on social media, Jimmy Chérisier, alias "Barbecue", leader of the coalition, announced that his men would "take to the streets to face off against law enforcement" and called on the population to remain at home.
The majority of schools remained closed on Monday and public transport was barely circulating in the streets, an AFP journalist on the ground observed.
The UN recommended that all its personnel work remotely, according to an internal communication consulted by AFP. The French Embassy announced it would remain closed, whilst the United States Embassy asked its employees to work from their homes.
In the face of these threats, the police directorate suspended leave and permission for its officers until further notice.
The operation at the origin of this crisis targeted on Friday the stronghold of the "400 Mawozo" gang, in a suburb of Port-au-Prince. Seven gang members were killed, according to the authorities. During the intervention, law enforcement had to destroy a support helicopter to prevent it from falling into the hands of criminal groups.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long been ravaged by the violence of criminal gangs, which commit murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings in a context of chronic political instability. The situation has deteriorated further since early 2024, when gangs forced the then Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to resign. Since then, the country — which has not held elections since 2016 — has been led by a transitional presidential council struggling to curb the violence.
Source: Google News HT — Port-au-Prince