Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed “Barbecue,” also estimated on Tuesday that this conflict would lead to “genocide.”
Published on 03/06/2024 07:09 Updated on 03/06/2024 07:50
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Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed “Barbecue,” and three of his men on March 5, 2024 in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. (CLARENS SIFFROY / AFP)
An influential Haitian gang leader threatened on Tuesday, March 5, a “civil war” in the country if the controversial prime minister remains in power. “If Ariel Henry does not resign and the international community continues to support him, we are heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide,” declared Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed “Barbecue,” in an interview with the press.
Last week, the armed gangs that control swaths of Haiti and much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, announced they were allying against the government. Since then, they have carried out attacks on infrastructure and strategic locations, taking advantage of the Prime Minister's trip abroad.
“We have to unite. Either Haiti will be a paradise for all of us or a hell for all of us,” continued Jimmy Chérizier, a 46-year-old former police officer who became the leader of a gang coalition known as the G9. and the target of UN sanctions. “It is out of the question for a small group of rich people living in big hotels to decide the fate of the residents of working-class neighborhoods,” he said again.
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