Haiti Violence: Haiti's Main Port Closes as Chaos Deepen

Jimmy 'Barbecue' Chérizier 


The primary harbor in Haiti has declared a halt in its operations due to deliberate acts of sabotage and vandalism amidst escalating violence and disorder in the capital city.

Reports from local media indicate that armed individuals forcibly entered the port located in Port-au-Prince, pillaging containers stored within.

This incident comes in the wake of a series of assaults by organized gangs targeting various key infrastructures such as the airport, police stations, and prisons throughout the week. These actions are aimed at ousting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry from power.

Initially declared for three days, a state of emergency has now been prolonged for an additional month to address the worsening situation.

Caribbean Port Services, the entity managing the port, attributed the suspension of all services to deliberate acts of sabotage and vandalism.

The United Nations' World Food Programme has reported over 20 trucks carrying crucial supplies including medical equipment and food stranded at the port due to the suspension of maritime transport services, which was prompted by concerns over insecurity.

Warning signs from the UN's humanitarian affairs agency indicate that Haiti's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.

In response to the crisis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in urgent talks with Prime Minister Henry, pressing for a swift political transition, as confirmed by a senior US official.

Brian Nichols, US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs while speaking at an event on Thursday said that Blinken spoke with the Haitian prime minister about "the urgent need to accelerate transition to a broader, more inclusive government today". 

When Prime Minister Henry departed for a regional summit last week, the gangs operating in the violence-plagued city intensified their attacks.

Upon attempting to return to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, Mr. Henry found himself landing instead in the US territory of Puerto Rico. The closure of the Haitian capital's international airport, due to soldiers thwarting gunmen's attempts to seize control, prevented his arrival. Additionally, neighboring Dominican Republic aviation authorities denied entry to the prime minister's plane, citing the absence of a required flight plan.

Since his visit to Kenya, where he met President William Ruto to negotiate a deal for Kenyan involvement in a multinational force to restore order in Haiti, Mr. Henry has refrained from making any public statements. The agreement, sealed by the two leaders, lays the groundwork for dispatching 2,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti, yet faces legal opposition from a Kenyan opposition figure.

READ ALSO: Haitian Leader Leaves for Kenya, Gangs Storm Prison - Free Thousands

Amidst these developments, several Kenyan police volunteers slated for deployment have withdrawn due to safety concerns.

With Prime Minister Ariel Henry absent, Port-au-Prince gangs have orchestrated a series of coordinated assaults. Their targets include the airport, which they seek to control to block Mr. Henry's return, as well as two prisons, resulting in the liberation of numerous inmates. The violence has claimed the lives of at least six police officers, while the National Police Academy suffered destruction.

In the aftermath of the prison raids, bodies of prisoners were found strewn across the streets, exacerbating Haiti's already dire humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations report that over 15,000 individuals have fled their homes within the past week alone.



The gangs have not disclosed their objectives beyond the removal of Mr. Henry from power.

Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed 'Barbecue', who leads an alliance of gangs called G9 recently threatened that if Mr. Henry continues to cling on to power there will be 'civil war' which he said could end in 'genocide'. 

In its report about Haiti for 2023, the United Nations said that 4,789 people were killed last year alone while kidnappings surged from 1,359 cases in 2022 to 2,490.


 

Subscribe to Follow our Open Forum Political Talk Show Here: Sound Candid Talk - Youtube


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mwaura: DCI is Investigating Allegations Regarding Counterfeit Fertilizer

Image
The government is looking into allegations of counterfeit fertilizer following public outcry, as stated by Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura. Mwaura mentioned that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has initiated an investigation into the purported counterfeit fertilizer. "I want to assure you that those found culpable of supplying not only the fertilizer but also any other form of fake farm inputs shall be apprehended and prosecuted," Mwaura said. He mentioned that the government's decision to provide subsidized fertilizer assists in protecting small-scale farmers from fluctuations in fertilizer prices. The government representative stated that the fertilizer identified as counterfeit is a commercially sold product under an agency agreement outside the NCPB system. "The product is not part of the GOK subsidized fertilizer availed to registered farmers," he said.  He mentioned that every fertilizer distributed through the Government Subsidized Program...
Read more

Enter Gen Z: Youthful Activists Flood Streets in Mass Protest Against 'Punitive' Tax Bill

Image
Picture Story... In a wave of youthful activism, swarms of Kenyan youth marched peacefully against the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, employing a blend of traditional and modern protest tactics including singing, dancing, tweeting, vlogging, and TikToking.  An AI depiction of the movement. This movement, marked by a carnival-like atmosphere and extensive use of technology, was a stark contrast to past demonstrations. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, demonstrators faced teargas as 204 government-allied MPs voted to advance the bill to its second reading for further discussion. In opposition, 115 MPs voted against the bill and pledged to continue their fight. The protestors, part of a burgeoning movement, demanded a fairer fiscal system to address the hardships faced by ordinary Kenyans. Protesters in cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret used songs and social media hashtags like #OccupyEldoret to mobilize, carrying placards with messages like 'Zakayo mu...
Read more

Reason Why Maraga Team Want Separation of APs and Kenya Police at Senior Level

Image
Retired Chief Justice David Maraga handing over the report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms to the president on November 16, 2023, at Statehouse, Nairobi. Some time at the beginning of the Kenya Kwanza administration in late 2022, President William Ruto established the National Taskforce on Police and Prisons Reforms chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.  Last year Maraga presented the report of the National Taskforce on Police Reforms at Statehouse Nairobi. The team sought reforms aimed at addressing major challenges bedeviling the police service. The reforms await implementation.  If implemented, there may soon be alterations in the responsibilities carried out by police officers, potentially impacting your safety after the team proposed separating the Kenya Police and Administration Police services in a massive restructuring operation. Prior to the enactment of the 2010 Constitution, the Administration Police primarily focused on administrative and protec...
Read more