Haiti was under siege on Thursday, February 29 as Prime Minister Ariel Henry arrived in Kenya to sign an agreement for deployment of 1,000 police officers to help restore peace in his country.
This is after a gang staged an attack on the country’s main international airport, police stations and government agencies, paralysing normal operations.
Henry was Friday scheduled to attend a public lecture at the United States International University (USIU) ahead of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to enable the deployment.
He was late to the event as he had not arrived almost 40 minutes later with his whereabouts not known.
He was also scheduled to attend an event at State House on Friday to sign the agreement.
He had Thursday met president William Ruto who said he would support the mission to fight the gang.
Heavy gunfire paralyzed Haiti’s capital on Thursday as a powerful gang leader warned he would try to capture the country’s police chief and government ministers.
Gunmen shot at Haiti’s main international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that caught many people by surprise, forcing businesses, government agencies and schools to close early as parents and young children fled through the streets in panic. At least one airline, Sunrise Airways, suspended all flights.
During the attack, Jimmy Cherizier, leader of the gang federation G9 Family and Allies, directed his men to launch assaults near police stations, which led to the deaths of four police officers.
In a video circulating on social media, Cherizier disclosed that the goal was to seize control of government ministries to liberate the country.
He warned Prime Minister Henry not to return from Kenya.
“With our guns and with the Haitian people, we will free the country,” he stated.
It was not clear if Chérizier’s faction, known as G9 Family and Allies, had the backing of other major gangs that are estimated to control up to 80 percent of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Following the violence that gripped the country, the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, along with several businesses, government agencies, and schools, were closed.
The wave of violence persisted in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as the gang continued to infiltrate the city in coordinated attacks.
Dozens of Haitian residents attempted to flee the region by raising their hands as a sign of peace offering to the gang while rushing through the streets.
The gang’s armoured vehicles patrolled the city, showcasing their might, while other members remained stationed near slums.
The attacks came a day after Henry met in Guyana with Caribbean leaders, who said he pledged to hold long-awaited general elections by mid-2025. It is the third time he has announced such a deadline, with previous promises made in 2022 and 2023.
Henry flew from Guyana to Kenya in hopes of moving forward on the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti.
A court ruled last month that the proposed deployment was unconstitutional, but Henry and Kenyan officials have been working on a deal that would allow forces to arrive in Haiti soon.
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