- By Henri Astier and Ali Abbas Ahmadi
- BBC News
March 3, 2024
Updated 42 minutes ago
Image source: Getty Images
image description,
Tires were set on fire outside the main prison in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince
The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday after armed gangs stormed a major prison in Port-au-Prince. At least 12 people died in the prison break and around 3,700 inmates escaped.
Gang leaders say they want to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has traveled abroad.
The groups seeking to oust him control about 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Violent gang wars have killed thousands in the country since 2020.
A government statement said two prisons – one in the capital and the other in nearby Croix des Bouquets – were stormed over the weekend.
It said the acts of “disobedience” posed a threat to national security and that an immediate nighttime curfew would be imposed in response, starting at 8:00 p.m. local time (01:00 GMT on Monday).
Haitian media reported that other police stations were attacked, distracting authorities from the coordinated attack on the prisons.
Among those detained in Port-au-Prince were gang members charged in connection with the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier (nicknamed “Barbecue”) announced a coordinated attack to remove him.
“All of us, the armed groups in the provincial towns and the armed groups in the capital, are united,” said the former police officer behind several massacres in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti's police union had asked the military to help reinforce the capital's main prison, but the site was stormed late Saturday.
On Sunday, the prison's doors were still open and there were no signs of officials, Portal news agency reported. Three prisoners who tried to escape lay dead in the yard, the report said.
An AFP journalist who visited the prison saw about 10 bodies, some with signs of bullet injuries.
A prison volunteer told Portal that 99 prisoners – including former Colombian soldiers jailed for the assassination of President Moïse – had decided to stay in their cells for fear of being killed in the crossfire.
The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince urged its citizens on Sunday to leave Haiti “as soon as possible.” The French embassy said it was closing visa services as a “precautionary measure.”
video caption,
Haiti Crisis: Can Kenya Succeed Where Others Have Failed?
Violence has been widespread since the assassination of President Moïse in his home in 2021. He was not replaced and no elections have been held since 2016.
Under a political agreement, Mr Henry was due to resign by February 7. However, the planned elections did not take place and he remains in office.
On Monday, Kenyan authorities said the prime minister had returned to Haiti.
Speaking to BBC's Newsday, Claude Joseph – who was acting prime minister when President Moïse was assassinated and who is now leader of the opposition Those Committed to Development party – said Haiti was living a “nightmare”.
Mr Joseph said Prime Minister Henry wanted to “stay in power for as long as possible”.
“He agreed to resign on February 7th. Now he is choosing to stay despite there being large protests across the country calling for him to resign – but it is unfortunate that these criminals are now using violent means to force him to resign.”
Anger over the shocking level of violence and the political vacuum led to several anti-government demonstrations, with protesters demanding the prime minister's resignation.
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