2024 Haitian jailbreak

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Battle of Port-Au-Prince (2024)[1]
Part of the Gang war in Haiti and the Haitian crisis (2018–present)
Date28 February – present[2]
Location
Mainly Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Result Ongoing
Belligerents
G9 alliance and supporters Haitian security forces
Commanders and leaders
Jimmy Chérizier Ariel Henry
Casualties and losses
12 dead, 15,000 displaced[3][4]

In March 2024, armed gangs stormed the two largest prisons in Haiti, resulting in around 3,700 inmates escaping. The gangs demanded that prime minister Ariel Henry resign. The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in an attempt to curb the violence and chaos.[5]

Background

On 1 March 2024, Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry traveled to Kenya and signed an agreement designed to circumvent the Kenyan High Court's earlier ruling declaring the UN-backed operation to ensure Haitian security as unconstitutional under Kenyan law.[6]

Events

The Haitian government, under finance minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in an attempt to curb the violence and chaos.[7] Jimmy Chérizier, the leader of the "G9 Family and Allies" gang in Port-au-Prince, claimed responsibility for the increase in attacks, and demanded Henry's resignation. Chérizier stated that the goals of the increase in attacks was to capture important government officials, including the police chief.[6] Many escaped gang leaders have joined the attacks,[8] fueling speculation that an alliance between rival gangs in the Haitian gang wars is forming to overthrow the Haitian elite.[9]

Chérizier released a video stating that he intended to prevent Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti with the operation. On 1 March, when asked if it was safe for him to return to Haiti, Henry shrugged.[10] Chérizier apparently had the backing of some other gangs as part of a coalition named "Viv Ansanm", Haitian Creole for "living together". Though that coalition was quick to dissolve, other gangs launched attacks, together with Chérizier's G9 gang.[11] On 1 March, gunfire at the airport caused damage to some of the airliners.[12]

On 2 and 3 March, armed gangs stormed the two largest prisons in Haiti, one in Croix des Bouquets, the other in Port-au-Prince.[13] More than 4,700 inmates escaped.[10] Police were reported to be undermanned and outgunned by the gangs, with only 9,000 operating in Haiti at the time of the fighting.[14] The gang leaders, including Chérizier, demanded Henry's resignation. In particular, Chérizier stated his goal was to capture Haitian government officials, including the police chief.[15] Over 12 people have been killed in the conflict.[13] The UN estimates that 15,000 people have fled the violence in Port-au-Prince.[15]

On 3 March, the Haitian government, under finance minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in an attempt to curb the violence and chaos.[16] The government noted "increasingly violent criminal acts" throughout Port-au-Prince, including vandalism, kidnapping and murder.[17] According to the United Nations, gangs now control around 80% of Port-au-Prince.[10] On 3 March, the Sylvio Cator Stadium was occupied and vandalized by armed gangs.[18]

On 4 March, at around 1 p.m. local time, armed gangs attacked the heavily fortified Toussaint Louverture International Airport, exchanging gunfire with police and the Haitian Armed Forces, in an attempt to take control of the facility after rumors that Henry would return to Haiti,[19] fueling speculation that an alliance between rival gangs is forming to overthrow the Haitian elite.[20] In particular, Johnson André, the leader of the 5 Seconds gang, appeared to be linked to the attacks.[10] Other gang leaders, including Guy Philippe, reportedly will try to take over the presidency of Haiti.[21] Flights were grounded as the airport was shut down. The Stade Sylvio Cator[17] and national bank[16] were attacked. Other public institutions, including schools and banks, have been closed.[22]

On 5 March, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated his desire for “urgent action, particularly in providing financial support for the multinational security support mission”.[23] Later that day, Henry landed at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico in an attempt to return to Haiti to control the violence.[22] There was another reported jailbreak on 5 March, leading to the death of three inmates. Haitian police were able to stop attempts at escape.[24][25]

On 6 March, a Police Station in Bas-Peu-de-Chose was attacked and burned down by gangs, [26] and a the State of Emergency was officially extended for another month, [27], The privately-owned Caribbean Port Services (CPS) terminal in Port-Au-Prince was attacked and looted as well, potentially being captured [28][29]

Reactions

International

Countries

  •  Colombia: The Colombian foreign ministry asked Haiti to provide "special protection" to the 18 ex-Colombian soldiers who were convicted of the assassination of Jovenel Moïse after they remained in their prison, which was broken in by gangs.[15]
  •  Cuba: The Cuban Embassy said it was taking steps to ensure the safe return of Cubans residing and in transit in Haiti.[30]
  •  Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic partially closed its border and fully closed its airspace with Haiti, causing Prime Minister Ariel Henry to divert his flight to Puerto Rico.[31][32]
  •  Jamaica: The Jamaican military was placed on high alert in preparation for a possible deployment to Haiti.[33]
  •  Kenya: Kenya said it was committed to deploying 1,000 police officers to Haiti.[34]
  •  Mexico: Mexico withdrew its embassy from Port-au-Prince and advised its citizens in Haiti to confine themselves to necessities like fuel, water, and non-perishables before leaving.[35]
  •  United States: The U.S. Embassy issued an updated security alert for U.S. citizens.[36] U.S. officials said that American troops will not be sent to Haiti and put pressure on prime minister Ariel Henry to resign. However, the FBI offered support for Henry while he is in Puerto Rico.[37][38][39]
  •  Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro rebuked plans to deploy multinational police forces to Haiti at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[40]

Organizations

References

  1. ^ Cornu, Jean-Michael; Rakovsky, Valentin; Rivas Pacheco, Guillermo (6 March 2024). "Gang activity in Haiti's Port-au-Prince". Princeton Clarion. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Haitian police spokesman says new gang attacks overwhelmed officers: 'The city center was at war'". AP News. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Haiti: the government declares a state of emergency, at least 12 dead and 4 thousand prisoners escaped". Agenzia Nova. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Haiti violence displaces 15,000 already displaced people: UN". Macau Business. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. ^ Astier, Henri; Avagnina, Gianluca (3 March 2024). "Haiti violence: Haiti gangs demand PM resign after mass jailbreak". BBC. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Kenya signs deal in attempt to rescue plan for deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. ^ Sanon, Evans; Luxama, Pierre-Richard (3 March 2024). "Haiti declares a curfew as it tries to restore order after weekend jailbreak, explosion of violence". AP News. The Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  8. ^ Charles, Jacqueline (4 March 2024). "Haiti has deployed its army; troops joined police to push back gang takeover of airport". Miami Herald. McClatchy Media Network. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  9. ^ Taylor, Luke (4 March 2024). "Haiti's weekend of violence puts government future in doubt". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Coto, Dánica (4 March 2024). "There's chaos in Haiti. Powerful gangs are attacking key targets like prisons as alliances shift". AP News. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  11. ^ Press, Associated (29 February 2024). "Haiti's capital paralysed by gunfire as gang boss threatens police chief and ministers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  12. ^ Rios, Michael; Caitlin Hu; Jim Rogers; Sahar Akbarzai; Chris Lau (1 March 2024). "Gunfire near Haiti airport disrupts flights for second day". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b Astier, Henri; Avagnina, Gianluca (3 March 2024). "Haiti violence: Haiti gangs demand PM resign after mass jailbreak". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Haitian police spokesman says new gang attacks overwhelmed officers: 'The city center was at war'". AP News. 1 March 2024. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Jones, Sam (4 March 2024). "Haiti declares state of emergency after thousands of dangerous inmates escape". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ^ a b Sanon, Evans; Luxama, Pierre-Richard (3 March 2024). "Haiti declares a curfew as it tries to restore order after weekend jailbreak, explosion of violence". AP News. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ^ a b Wyss, Jim (4 March 2024). "Violent Prison Break Sparks Murder, Mayhem in Haiti". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  18. ^ https://twitter.com/MARADIOFM/status/1764335430231568817
  19. ^ Charles, Jacqueline (4 March 2024). "Haiti has deployed its army; troops joined police to push back gang takeover of airport". Miami Herald. McClatchy Media Network. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  20. ^ Taylor, Luke (4 March 2024). "Haiti's weekend of violence puts government future in doubt". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  21. ^ Berg, Matt; Toosi, Nahal; Ward, Alexander (5 March 2024). "'Catastrophic' fears in Washington as Haiti crisis worsens". Politico. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. ^ a b Sanon, Evens; Goodman, Joshua; Coto, Dánica (5 March 2024). "Haitian prime minister lands in Puerto Rico as he tries to return home to quell gang violence". AP News. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Haiti crisis: UN chief calls for 'urgent action' to end rampant insecurity | UN News". news.un.org. United Nations. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  24. ^ https://twitter.com/NouvellesA1/status/1765432823966502967
  25. ^ https://twitter.com/Radio_Metronome/status/1765418654848458882
  26. ^ https://eluniversalsv.com/2024/03/07/pandillas-de-haiti-incendia-otro-puesto-de-policia/?fbclid=IwAR2b-nlDGtnDfbokznOQ4rXT9moVD4E3b-FR6FPNKgNU4NhOzv30rQVWaQk
  27. ^ https://www.monumental.co.cr/2024/03/07/haiti-prorrogo-el-estado-de-emergencia-en-puerto-principe-por-un-mes-en-medio-de-la-violencia-de-bandas-criminales/
  28. ^ https://twitter.com/heraldhaiti/status/1765792866381496465
  29. ^ https://www.albanyherald.com/news/key-port-terminal-broken-into-as-violence-grips-haiti/article_fad049c0-ee1c-5671-a85e-de5e361991c5.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
  30. ^ https://twitter.com/CVInternacional/status/1765442325138788699
  31. ^ "Dominican Republic advises airlines to avoid connections to Haiti".
  32. ^ "Dominican authorities partially restrict border crossings from Haiti".
  33. ^ https://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20240306/j%E2%80%99cans-open-about-soldiers-going-haiti
  34. ^ "Why is Kenya heading the security mission in Haiti? – DW – 03/04/2024". Deutsche Welle.
  35. ^ "Embajada de México en Haití cesa funciones por la inseguridad – Noticias Prensa Latina" (in Spanish). 4 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  36. ^ "The U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Haiti as Gangs Seize Control – the Presidential Prayer Team". 6 March 2024.
  37. ^ "El FBI se encarga del alojamiento y la seguridad de Ariel Henry en Puerto Rico". 6 March 2024.
  38. ^ Wilner, Michael; Charles, Jacqueline. "Biden rejects U.S. troop deployment to Haiti as crisis spirals". Miami Herald. McClatchy Media Network. Archived from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  39. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article286303630.html
  40. ^ https://twitter.com/BTnewsroom/status/1765155848387453283
  41. ^ "Haiti crisis: UN chief calls for 'urgent action' to end rampant insecurity | UN News". news.un.org. United Nations. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  42. ^ https://twitter.com/teleSURtv/status/1765446262197715435
  43. ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article286303630.html
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