Haitian gangs set police stations on fire as future of PM uncertain

The capital city of Port-au-Prince has seen police stations set on fire by gangs demanding the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The latest target, according to the local media, is the police station situated in the crowded outdoor Salomon market.

The violent criminal groups in the city intensified their assaults when Mr. Henry departed for a regional conference last week.

He is unable to return because of the unrest’s paralysis of air travel.

Tuesday, Mr. Henry tried to take a flight back to Port-au-Prince, but he ended up in Puerto Rico, a US territory.

The international airport in the capital of Haiti was blocked due to gunmen’s attempts to take control of it, preventing him from landing there.

The prime minister’s jet was also turned away by civil aviation authorities in the neighboring Dominican Republic, who claimed they had not received the required flight plan.

Since his travel to Kenya, when he attempted to salvage an agreement for the African nation to command a multinational force to assist in restoring order in Haiti, Mr. Henry has not made any public remarks.

The disappearance of the man allowed gangs in the capital to launch a series of coordinated attacks.

They wanted to take control of the airport so they could stop Mr. Henry from returning, and they also targeted two jails where thousands of prisoners had been released.

According to a list compiled by The National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH), they have also burned down the peace court in Croix-des-Bouquets and looted or set fire to around 20 other structures.

In addition to the destruction of the National Police Academy, at least six police officers have died.

Several prisoners’ bodies were also discovered out in the open during the National Penitentiary’s storming.

The humanitarian situation in Haiti has gotten worse as a result of the conflict.

Over 15,000 individuals are thought to have left their homes in the last week, according to aid organizations.

Ulrika Richardson, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, described the situation as “extremely dire and very alarming” on the BBC’s Newshour program.

“We have big parts of the capital paralysed: schools are closed, many hospitals have had to close, either because of a lack of equipment or simply that staff cannot get to work,” she said.

The gangs have not stated what their goals are after Mr. Henry is removed.

Former police officer Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, the leader of the G9 gang coalition, has threatened to start a “civil war” that might result in “genocide” if Mr. Henry does not resign.

Mr. Henry has been pushed by Caribbean countries and the United States to “finalize a political accord”.

The president of Guyana and current head of the regional organization Caricom, Irfaan Ali, stated that “a political solution to anchor any stabilization of security and humanitarian efforts” was necessary.

A video message from Mr. Ali stated that Caricom had failed “to reach any form of consensus between stakeholders in Haiti” in spite of constant attempts to get the private sector, religious organizations, civil society, government, and influential opposition figures to agree on a course of action. (BBC)

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