PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Haiti’s government announced a state of emergency and imposed a nighttime curfew in response to a violent gang assault on the main prison in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, leading to the escape of thousands of inmates.
The curfew, effective from 6 pm to 5 am in the Ouest region, which encompasses the capital, will remain in place until Wednesday, with the possibility of extensions, stated the government.
During the gang attack on the National Penitentiary overnight Saturday, approximately a dozen individuals lost their lives, witnessed by an AFP reporter. The assault is part of an escalating wave of violence in Port-au-Prince, orchestrated by well-armed gangs seeking to destabilize the nation.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was in Kenya to finalize an agreement for a UN-backed law enforcement mission, faces mounting pressure as gangs demand his ouster following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Following the prison break, only around 100 inmates out of an estimated 3,800 remained incarcerated, reported Pierre Esperance of the National Network for Defense of Human Rights, who also noted numerous prisoner fatalities.
The Haitian government, led by Economy Minister Patrick Michel Boisvert as acting prime minister, has authorized security forces to utilize all legal means to enforce the curfew and apprehend violators, aiming to restore order amidst the chaos.
The second targeted prison, Croix des Bouquets, also faced attacks from gang members, exacerbating the security crisis in the nation already grappling with widespread violence and a weak government.
Gang leader Jimmy Cherisier, known as Barbecue, asserted in a social media video that armed groups were collaborating to pressure Prime Minister Ariel Henry into resigning, adding to the political turmoil engulfing Haiti.
While Prime Minister Henry remains abroad, recent efforts to deploy a security mission led by Kenya, backed by the UN Security Council, face uncertainty due to legal challenges, complicating Haiti’s quest for stability amid ongoing unrest.
Haiti’s plight, compounded by economic hardship and political instability, underscores the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address the deep-rooted challenges facing the nation and restore peace and order to its embattled streets.
