Haiti’s government has declared a state of emergency and a curfew. The measures are a response to the release of thousands of criminals from prisons. Several gangs attacked it together.
Due to the escalation of gang violence in Haiti, the government has declared a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in the capital Port-au-Prince. The government announced that the state of emergency will initially apply for 72 hours and can be extended. The curfew came into force on Sunday evening and was to last until 5 a.m. Monday morning and then from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday to Wednesday.
The government made the move in response to “attacks by armed gangs on the country’s two largest prisons.” Thousands of prisoners escaped on Saturday evening and at least a dozen people were killed. According to the Miami Herald, the criminals had prepared their attack using drones to learn about the prison guards’ movements and determine the best time to attack.
More than 3,000 criminals escaped
The head of the national network for the defense of human rights, Pierre Espérance, said that before the attack, around 3,800 prisoners were held in the capital’s national prison on charges including kidnapping and murder. On Sunday there were only around a hundred left. Several gang leaders were also imprisoned there.
Colombian citizens who are considered suspects in connection with the assassination of Haitian ex-President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 were also housed there.
Thousands of criminals, including gang leaders, were incarcerated in the national prison. Many of them were freed in the attack.
Gangs band together
The latest attacks appear to be part of a coordinated effort by criminal gangs who have banded together under the name “Vivre Ensemble” (“Living Together”). The violence began on Thursday.
Powerful gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérisier said in a video posted on online networks that the joint actions of rival armed groups were aimed at the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Escalating gang violence
Gang violence in the Caribbean country recently escalated again after Henry was in Kenya for discussions about an international police operation. After months of negotiations and a legal tug-of-war, representatives of both countries signed a corresponding agreement on Friday. The Kenyan government wants to send 1,000 police officers to the poor Caribbean country.
During the head of government’s absence, criminal gangs in parts of Haiti’s capital paralyzed public life with gun violence. Shots were fired at the international airport, among other places. According to government reports, several police officers were killed.
Years of severe crisis
Haiti has been in a serious crisis for years, to which not only gang violence but also political instability and economic hardship contribute. According to the UN, more than 1,100 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti in January.
According to UN estimates, brutal gangs control around 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince and are increasingly expanding their area of influence to other parts of the country. The violence is exacerbating the precarious supply situation – according to the United Nations, almost half of Haiti’s eleven million residents suffer from acute hunger.