The government of Haiti decreed this Sunday a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew, after at least a dozen people died when gang members attacked the capital’s main prison on Saturday night, which led to a massive escape of prisoners.
The government reported the state of emergency in a statement and decreed a curfew between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (local time) starting this Sunday and until Wednesday, March 6.
Both measures apply in the department of Ouest, which includes the capital Port-au-Prince, and may be renewed.
The government indicated that the objective of the measures is to “restore order and take appropriate measures to regain control of the situation.”
The fear that other public institutions, such as the National Palace and the Police headquarters, will be the next targets of armed gangs in Haiti invaded Port-au-Prince this Sunday, after at least one person died after the assault on the civil prison on Saturday. 15 people and some 3,600 inmates escaped from prison.
Since last Thursday, unprecedented violence has been recorded in Haiti marked by the increase in the number of clashes between the Police and armed gangs, the intensification of shootings in neighborhoods and the increase in the number of deaths and injuries.
Furthermore, in recent days the attacks by the coalition of gangs ‘Live Together’, led by the all-powerful Jimmy Cherizier ‘Barbecue’, together with the burning and looting of public places, have caused a massive displacement of people trying to flee the violence, “the absence of classes (schools recommend that students do not go to classrooms tomorrow) and the non-functioning of the city’s main public hospital.
Outside the National Palace and the police headquarters, the National Police Union (Synapoha) warned this Sunday on the social network a security force unit based in a gang-controlled area in the capital’s Delmas 2 sector.
According to the union, which before the deadly attack on the National Penitentiary (the capital’s main prison) launched an SOS in this regard without the authorities paying attention, there is a plan underway to block all roads leading to the CIMO and then enter headquarters from all sides.
The Haitian Football Federation (FHF) also reported this Sunday that the Sylvio Cator Stadium, the main stadium in the country, and its surroundings have been invaded by armed gangs for two days.
The FHF, which still does not know the extent of the damage suffered, assured that one of its employees was kidnapped and threatened with death, and “vehemently condemned these acts of violence, which will undoubtedly have serious repercussions for Haitian football, which is trying to get ahead despite everything.”
The Government appreciates “the calm”
After hours of silence, the Haitian Government finally reacted to what happened in the Port-au-Prince civil prison: “The National Police (…) will do everything in its power to locate the escaped prisoners and arrest those responsible for them.” criminal acts and their accomplices, in order to restore public order.”
In a statement, the Executive thanks the population for the “calm” shown and praises the courage of the police who “tried” to repel the assault on the National Penitentiary and the Croix des Bouquets prison on the night of March 2 to 3 at the hands of “heavily armed criminals who are desperate to free detainees, in particular (accused) of kidnapping, murder and other serious crimes.”
The criminals “did not hesitate to execute civilians, set fire to and loot public and private property with various conspiracies,” he adds, regarding an attack that allowed 97% of the inmates of the civil prison to escape, as can be seen from the data. facilitated by the Collective of Lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights (Caddho).
Although there are no official figures, at least fifteen of the escaped prisoners were murdered, as EFE was able to verify when counting the bodies scattered in various parts of the capital, such as Lalue or Christ Roi, although the largest number of bodies, 10, were found in the surroundings of the penitentiary.
Given the extreme violence experienced in the country, embassies try to protect their citizens and, thus, the US delegation renewed its security alert and urged its nationals “not to travel to Haiti” and those who reside in the country to “Abandon it as soon as possible by commercial or private means of transport, taking into account the current security situation and infrastructure problems,” reads the diplomatic representation’s website.
While the gangs assure that they seek to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry from power, Haiti awaits the arrival of a multinational security support mission, led by Kenya and approved last October by the UN, in order to put a stop to the terror that These armed groups impose their killings, kidnappings, rapes and attacks.
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