Haiti gang leader Jimmy Cherizier alias Barbecue on Thursday signed a peace treaty to end the gang violence witnessed in the Caribbean nation.
According to Le Nouvelliste, a news outlet in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, the peace agreement was signed between the gang leaders led by Cherizier at a closed-door meeting.
A section of the Haitian citizens took to the streets to celebrate the peace agreement.
“Residents took to the streets to celebrate this peace. Today, after more than two years,” revealed one of the people who spoke to the publication.
During the meeting, the gang leaders also called on the Haitian government to consider convening a peace meeting with them in a bid to halt the anarchy witnessed in the country.
It is not the first time Cherizier, the leader of the gang movement dubbed G9 Family and Allies, has called for peace talks with Prime Minister Garry Conille’s administration.
On July 6 this year, the gang leader held a presser where he vowed to lay down his arms to initiate a national dialogue to restore peace.
“We have decided to publicly announce that our strategy of laying down arms to facilitate national dialogue and promote peace is already written in black and white on our agenda,” said Barbecue.
“We are ready to elect a credible and coherent Haitian citizen in the diaspora to facilitate the dialogue to end this mafia war and facilitate the road to peace in the country,” he added.
The peace agreement comes amidst an intensified crackdown on gang violence by the Kenyan police in Haiti who have so far made progress in the peacekeeping mission.
The Kenyan contingent alongside Haitian officers managed to reclaim an airport that was being controlled by the armed gangs.
“We have decided to publicly announce that our strategy of laying down arms to facilitate national dialogue and promote peace is already written in black and white on our agenda,” said Barbecue.
“We are ready to elect a credible and coherent Haitian citizen in the diaspora to facilitate the dialogue to end this mafia war and facilitate the road to peace in the country,” he added.
The peace agreement comes amidst an intensified crackdown on gang violence by the Kenyan police in Haiti who have so far made progress in the peacekeeping mission.
Jamaica has already sent a team of six representatives to assess how the mission will work before Kingston can send its officers to Haiti.
Kenya, which is leading the 2,500-member security force, has agreed with the Haitian government on rules of engagement for the security personnel, who could face fierce opposition from the well-armed Haitian gangs that have taken over the country’s capital and overwhelmed local police. More than 1,000 police officers will join other teams in deploying to Haiti to fight gangs terrorizing locals. Apart from Kenya, other countries that will send officers to Haiti are Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria and Mauritius.
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