In a shocking turn of events, armed gangs in Haiti’s capital unleashed chaos by releasing approximately 4,000 inmates from the country’s largest prison following a violent clash with police on Sunday.
Reports from local media indicate that the vast majority of the inmates managed to escape from the Port-au-Prince jail. Among them were numerous gang members accused in connection with the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
The assault on the prison began over the weekend as Prime Minister Ariel Henry departed for Kenya, seeking support in combating domestic gang activities.
Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer, rallied various armed factions to challenge Henry’s government. The gangs targeted both the National Penitentiary and the country’s primary container port.
Cherizier declared, “All armed groups, whether in the provinces or the capital, stand united.”
Henry, who had pledged to resign by the end of February, maintained that the rampant gang violence must be addressed before fair elections could be held. Haiti has not conducted elections since 2016.
Despite facing significant hurdles, Henry managed to secure an agreement during his visit to Kenya last Friday.
While Kenya had previously committed to leading a U.N.-sanctioned international police force to Haiti, legal complications arose when the Kenyan High Court deemed the plan unconstitutional in January. However, a recent agreement ensures that Kenya will dispatch 1,000 police officers to assist in quelling the ongoing gang violence in Haiti.
Kenyan President William Ruto affirmed the signing of reciprocal agreements between the two nations during his meeting with Henry, marking a significant step forward in addressing Haiti’s security challenges.
