2024 Haitian jailbreak

Last updated

Battle of Port-Au-Prince (2024) [1]
Part of the Gang war in Haiti and the Haitian crisis (2018–present)
Un-haiti.png
Map of Haiti
Date28 February 2024 – present [2]
Location
Mainly Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Result

Ongoing

Belligerents
Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies

Haitian security forces


Armed civilians
Commanders and leaders
Jimmy Chérizier
Guy Philippe 		Flag of Haiti.svg Ariel Henry
Flag of Haiti.svg Michel Patrick Boisvert
Casualties and losses
38 dead, [3] 15,000 homeless, 362,000 displaced [4] [5] [6] [7]

Amid the unrest in Haiti since 2018, armed gangs stormed Haiti's two largest prisons in March 2024, resulting in more than 4,700 inmates escaping. The gangs demanded that prime minister Ariel Henry resign, attacking and closing Toussaint Louverture International Airport and preventing Henry from entering the country. The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in Ouest Department in an attempt to curb the violence and chaos. On 12 March 2024, Henry indicated his intention to resign as prime minister in response to the deteriorating security situation. [8]

Contents

Background

Haiti has been undergoing a crisis since 2018, including political assassinations and a gang war since 2023.

On 1 March 2024, Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry signed an agreement in Nairobi, Kenya attempting to allow the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti. [9]

Events

Jimmy Chérizier, the leader of the "G9 Family and Allies" gang in Port-au-Prince, released a video announcing his intention to prevent Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti with the operation. On 1 March, when asked if it was safe for him to return to Haiti, Henry shrugged. [10] Chérizier apparently had the backing of some other gangs as part of a coalition named "Viv Ansanm", Haitian Creole for "living together". Though that coalition was quick to dissolve, other gangs launched attacks, together with Chérizier's G9 gang. [11]

On 2 and 3 March, armed gangs stormed the two largest prisons in Haiti, one in Croix des Bouquets, the other in Port-au-Prince. [12] More than 4,700 inmates escaped. [10] Police were reported to be undermanned and outgunned by the gangs, with only 9,000 operating in Haiti at the time of the fighting. [13] The 400 Mawozo gang operates in the Croix-des-Bouquets area and has influence at its prison, according to Insight Crime. [14] Chérizier, who took responsibility for the surge in violence, said his goal was to capture Haitian government officials, including the police chief. [15] Over 12 people have been killed in the conflict. [12] The UN estimated that 15,000 people fled the violence in Port-au-Prince. [15]

The Haitian government, under finance minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in an attempt to curb the violence and chaos. [16] Chérizier claimed responsibility for the increase in attacks, and demanded Henry's resignation, adding that the goal of the increase in attacks was to capture important government officials, including the police chief. [9] Many escaped gang leaders joined the attacks, [17] fueling speculation that an alliance between rival gangs in the Haitian gang wars was forming to overthrow the Haitian elite. [18]

On 4 March, at around 1 p.m. local time, armed gangs attacked the heavily fortified Toussaint Louverture International Airport, exchanging gunfire with police and the Haitian Armed Forces, in an attempt to take control of the facility after rumors that Henry would return to Haiti. [19] Johnson André, the leader of the 5 Seconds gang, appeared to be linked to the attacks. [10] The attacks resulted in the closure of the airport and prevented Henry from entering the country. [20] Other riot leaders, including Guy Philippe, indicated that they would try to take over the presidency of Haiti. [21] The Stade Sylvio Cator [22] [23] and national bank [23] were attacked. Other public institutions, including schools and banks, were closed. [24]

There was another reported jailbreak on 5 March, leading to the death of three inmates. Haitian police were able to stop attempts at escape. [25] [26] [ better source needed ] On 6 March, a police station in Bas-Peu-de-Chose was attacked and burned down by gangs. [27]

On 7 March, the state of emergency in the Ouest Department, including a nightly curfew and bans on protests, was extended from three days to a month (3 April). [27]

On 8 March, gangs attacked two police stations near the National Palace, [28] as well as the palace itself, [29] and burned down the interior ministry. [30] The security perimeter around Toussaint Louverture International Airport was breached by gangs, while gunfire was heard throughout Port-au-Prince. [31]

On 9 March, gangs attacked and occupied the headquarters of the Institute of Social Welfare in Port-au Prince, while the government of the Dominican Republic announced plans to evacuate its officials and citizens from Port-au-Prince. [32]

On 21 March, one of the gang leaders, known only as Makandal, was killed by the bwa kale in Petion-Ville. [33] A day later, Ernst Julme, the leader of Delmas 95 who had escaped from prison earlier in the month, was killed by police in the same area. Julme's death was described as a significant setback for Cherizier in his attempts to take over Port-au-Prince. [34] [35]

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Related Research Articles

The recorded history of Haiti began in 1492, when the European captain and explorer Christopher Columbus landed on a large island in the region of the western Atlantic Ocean that later came to be known as the Caribbean. The western portion of the island of Hispaniola, where Haiti is situated, was inhabited by the Taíno and Arawakan people, who called their island Ayiti. The island was promptly claimed for the Spanish Crown, where it was named La Isla Española, later Latinized to Hispaniola. By the early 17th century, the French had built a settlement on the west of Hispaniola and called it Saint-Domingue. Prior to the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the economy of Saint-Domingue gradually expanded, with sugar and, later, coffee becoming important export crops. After the war which had disrupted maritime commerce, the colony underwent rapid expansion. In 1767, it exported indigo, cotton and 72 million pounds of raw sugar. By the end of the century, the colony encompassed a third of the entire Atlantic slave trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cité Soleil</span> Municipality in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Cité Soleil is an extremely impoverished and densely populated commune located in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in Haiti. Cité Soleil originally developed as a shanty town and grew to an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 residents, the majority of whom live in extreme poverty. The area is generally regarded as one of the poorest and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere and it is one of the biggest slums in the Northern Hemisphere. The area has virtually no sewers and has a poorly maintained open canal system that serves as its sewage system, few formal businesses but many local commercial activities and enterprises, sporadic but largely unpaid for electricity, a few hospitals, and two government schools, Lycée Nationale de Cité Soleil, and École Nationale de Cité Soleil. For several years until 2007, the area was ruled by a number of gangs, each controlling their own sectors. But government control was reestablished after a series of operations in early 2007 by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) with the participation of the local population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toussaint Louverture International Airport</span> International airport in Tabarre, Haiti

Toussaint Louverture International Airport is an international airport in Tabarre, a commune of Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The airport is currently the busiest in Haiti and is an operating hub for Sunrise Airways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delmas, Haiti</span> Commune in Ouest, Haiti

Delmas is a commune in the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement, in the Ouest department of Haiti. Delmas itself is an urban continuation of the capital city. Delmas is also the location of much of the area's commercial and industrial enterprise.

The timeline of rescue efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake of 12 January 2010 involves the sequence of events in the days following a highly destructive 7.0 Mw earthquake with an epicenter 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. With at least 70% of the city's buildings destroyed, the earthquake also caused damage and loss of life in other parts of the country. The Haitian government experienced a near-collapse and affected people were left mostly to their own resources until foreign aid arrived in the following days. Initial death toll estimates ranged between 50,000 and 200,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian crisis (2018–present)</span> Ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis in Haiti

The current political, economic, and social crisis began with protests in cities throughout Haiti on 7 July 2018 in response to increased fuel prices. These protests gradually evolved into demands for the resignation of the president, Jovenel Moïse. Led by opposition politician Jean-Charles Moïse, protesters demanded a transitional government, provision of social programs, and the prosecution of corrupt officials. From 2019 to 2021, massive protests called for the Jovenel Moïse government to resign. Moïse had come to power in the 2016 presidential election, which had voter turnout of only 21%. Previously, the 2015 elections had been annulled due to fraud. On 7 February 2021, supporters of the opposition allegedly attempted a coup d'état, leading to 23 arrests, as well as clashes between protestors and police.

Events in the year 2021 in Haiti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Chérizier</span> Haitian gang leader (born 1977)

Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed Barbecue, is a Haitian gang leader, former police officer, and warlord who is the head of the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies, abbreviated as "G9" or "FRG9", a federation of over a dozen Haitian gangs based in Port-au-Prince. Known for often making public appearances in military camouflage and a beret, he calls himself the leader of an "armed revolution". Considered the most powerful armed revolutionary leader in Haiti, he is also currently believed to be one of the country's most powerful figures.

The 400 Mawozo is the largest gang in Haiti, mainly based in Ganthier and in the Port-au-Prince suburbs of Tabarre and Pétion-Ville. It largely consists of deportees, former leaders of opposition groups, former smugglers and police officers. In 2022, it aligned itself with "G-Pep" after its leader was extradited to the United States. It came to international attention in October 2021 when it kidnapped U.S. citizens acting as missionaries in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In July 2022, an outbreak of gang violence occurred in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, leaving 89 people dead and over 74 injured.

Events in the year 2022 in Haiti.

The socioeconomic and political crisis in Haiti has been marked by rising energy prices due to the 2022 global energy crisis, as well as protests, and civil unrest against the government of Haiti, armed gang violence, an outbreak of cholera, shortages of fuel and clean drinking water, as well as widespread acute hunger. It is a continuation of instability and protests that began in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gang war in Haiti</span> Civil conflict over control of Port-au-Prince

Since 2020, Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince has been the site of an ongoing gang war. The government of Haiti and Haitian security forces have struggled to maintain their control of Port-au-Prince amid this conflict, with gangs reportedly controlling up to 90% of the city by 2023. In response to the escalating gang fighting, an armed vigilante movement, known as bwa kale, also emerged, with the purpose of fighting the gangs. On 2 October 2023, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699 was approved, authorizing a Kenya-led "multinational security support mission" to Haiti. Until 2024, the war was between two major groups and their allies: the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies and the G-Pep. However, in February 2024 the two rival gangs formed a coalition opposing the government and the UN mission.

Events in the year 2024 in Haiti.

The political history of North America in the 2020s covers political events on the continent, other than elections, from 2020 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Patrick Boisvert</span> Haitian civil servant and politician

Michel Patrick Boisvert is a Haitian civil servant and politician who served as the interim Prime Minister of Haiti from 25 February to 3 June 2024. The Transitional Presidential Council, inaugurated on 25 April, has the power to replace him, and did so on 3 June 2024 after it appointed Garry Conille as Prime Minister. Boisvert has served as Minister of Economy and Finance since 2020, initially in the cabinets of Joseph Jouthe, Claude Joseph, and Ariel Henry. Boisvert previously served as director-general of the Ministry of Economy and Finance from 2018 to 2020. Amid the February–March 2024 escalation of the Haitian crisis, Boisvert has served as acting prime minister, overseeing the operations of Henry's government during his absence from the country. Following Henry's formal resignation on 24 April 2024, Boisvert continued to serve as acting prime minister of Haiti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies</span> Haitian gang alliance

The Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies is a federation of 12 gangs led by former Haitian police officer Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, notorious for extrajudicial massacres. The G9, along with other affiliated gangs, controls over 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ti Greg</span> Haitian gang leader (died 2024)

Ernst Julme, known as Ti Greg, was a Haitian gang leader. He was reportedly the head of the Delmas 95 gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transitional Presidential Council</span> Collegial head of state exercising the powers and duties of the president of Haiti

The Transitional Presidential Council is a temporary body constituted by the Council of Ministers on 12 April 2024 and sworn in at the National Palace on 25 April to exercise the powers and duties of the President of Haiti either until an elected president is inaugurated or until 7 February 2026, whichever comes first.

In 2024, famine conditions struck Haiti as a result of the ongoing Haitian crisis, resulting in a reported 5,636 people suffering from starvation and 5.4 million civilians— almost half of Haiti's population— suffering from "crisis levels of hunger or worse". While food insecurity was first noted in March 2024, a 30 September report released for the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IFSPC) officially declared the presence of famine in Haiti as a consequence of gang conflict preventing transport of food while also preventing civilians from being able to find food outside of their homes.

References

  1. ↑ Cornu, Jean-Michael; Rakovsky, Valentin; Rivas Pacheco, Guillermo (6 March 2024). "Gang activity in Haiti's Port-au-Prince". Princeton Clarion. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Haitian police spokesman says new gang attacks overwhelmed officers: 'The city center was at war'". AP News. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ↑ @MARADIOFM (12 March 2024). "Le @synapoha annonce le décès de deux policiers .:la policière Edwige Antoine qui était souffrante et Estinor Angelot qui est décédé la nuit dernière dans le dortoir du Sous-Commissariat de Delmas 62" [The @synapoha announces the death of two police officers: police officer Edwige Antoine who was unwell and Estinor Angelot who died last night in the cells of the Delmas Sub-Police Station 62] (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Haiti: the government declares a state of emergency, at least 12 dead and 4 thousand prisoners escaped". Agenzia Nova. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Haiti violence displaces 15,000 already displaced people: UN". Macau Business. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  6. ↑ Mérancourt, Wildlore; Schmidt, Samantha (9 March 2024). "Haitians shot dead in the street and there's no one to take the corpses away" . The Washington Post . Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Several embassies evacuate staff as Haiti sinks deeper in violence". Daily Sabah . Port-au-Prince. Agence France-Presse. 11 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Hu, Caitlin Stephen (12 March 2024). "Haiti's leader to resign as gangs run rampant through country engulfed in crisis". CNN. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Kenya signs deal in attempt to rescue plan for deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti". The Guardian . Guardian News & Media. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Coto, Dánica (4 March 2024). "There's chaos in Haiti. Powerful gangs are attacking key targets like prisons as alliances shift". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Haiti's capital paralysed by gunfire as gang boss threatens police chief and ministers". The Guardian . Associated Press. 29 February 2024. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  12. 1 2 Astier, Henri; Avagnina, Gianluca (3 March 2024). "Haiti violence: Haiti gangs demand PM resign after mass jailbreak". BBC News . Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Haitian police spokesman says new gang attacks overwhelmed officers: 'The city center was at war'". Associated Press . 1 March 2024. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "400 Mawozo". Insight Crime. 23 March 2022.
  15. 1 2 Jones, Sam (4 March 2024). "Haiti declares state of emergency after thousands of dangerous inmates escape". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Sanon, Evans; Luxama, Pierre-Richard (3 March 2024). "Haiti declares a curfew as it tries to restore order after weekend jailbreak, explosion of violence". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Charles, Jacqueline (4 March 2024). "Haiti has deployed its army; troops joined police to push back gang takeover of airport". Miami Herald . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Luke (4 March 2024). "Haiti's weekend of violence puts government future in doubt". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Charles, Jacqueline (4 March 2024). "Haiti has deployed its army; troops joined police to push back gang takeover of airport". Miami Herald . Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  20. ↑ Buschschlüter, Vanessa (5 March 2024). "Haiti gangs try to take over Port-au-Prince airport". BBC News. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  21. ↑ Berg, Matt; Toosi, Nahal; Ward, Alexander (5 March 2024). "'Catastrophic' fears in Washington as Haiti crisis worsens". Politico. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  22. ↑ Wyss, Jim (4 March 2024). "Violent Prison Break Sparks Murder, Mayhem in Haiti". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. 1 2 Sanon, Evans; Luxama, Pierre-Richard (3 March 2024). "Haiti declares a curfew as it tries to restore order after weekend jailbreak, explosion of violence". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  24. ↑ Sanon, Evens; Goodman, Joshua; Coto, Dánica (5 March 2024). "Haitian prime minister lands in Puerto Rico as he tries to return home to quell gang violence". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  25. ↑ @NouvellesA1 (6 March 2024). "Deux morts et cinq blessés. Tel est le bilan des victimes lors de la tentative d'évasion à la prison civile de Jacmel dans la nuit du 5 mars 2024. L' information a été confirmée par le directeur départemental de la police du Sud-Est, Serge Allande Jolicoeur. #NouvellesDesAmériques" [Two dead and five injured. These were the casualties of the attempted escape from Jacmel civil prison on the night of 5 March 2024. The information was confirmed by Serge Allande Jolicoeur, Departmental Director of the South-East Police. #NewsFromAmericas] (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ @Radio_Metronome (6 March 2024). "Update : Tentative d'évasion à la prison civile de Jacmel. 3 morts et 6 blessés, selon le Directeur départemental de la PNH dans le Sud-est. D'après Serge Allande Jolicoeur, la prison avait 700 détenus. À la question de savoir comment ces prionniers ont pu trouver la mort, le Directeur départemental n'était pas en mesure de donner des détails.#metronomehaiti" [Update: Attempted escape from Jacmel civil prison. 3 dead and 6 injured, according to the Departmental Director of the PNH in the South-East. According to Serge Allande Jolicoeur, the prison had 700 inmates. When asked how the prisoners died, the Departmental Director was unable to give any details. #metronomehaiti] (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  27. 1 2 "Haiti extends state of emergency as violence and displacement soar". Al Jazeera . 7 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  28. ↑ Rios, Michael; Roth, Richard; Akbarzai, Sahar; Lau, Chris (9 March 2024). "Haiti crisis: Armed men attack police stations near National Palace as gang violence spirals". CNN . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  29. ↑ Rivers, Matt (8 March 2024). "Gangs attack Haiti's national palace in Port-au-Prince: Source". ABC News . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  30. ↑ Wyss, Jim (9 March 2024). "Haitian Gangs Torch Ministry as Nation Descends Into Lawlessness". Bloomberg News . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  31. ↑ "Intensos tiroteos se registran en el entorno del Palacio Presidencial de Haití". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). EFE. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  32. ↑ "República Dominicana planea evacuar a sus funcionarios y de otros países de Haití" [Dominican Republic plans to evacuate its officials and other countries from Haiti] (in Spanish). 9 March 2024.
  33. ↑ "Suspected Haiti gang members set on fire as conflict spreads to capital suburb". NBC News. 21 March 2024.
  34. ↑ "Prominent Haitian gang leader shot dead by police as political groups near finalisation of transition council". Sky News. 22 March 2024.
  35. ↑ "Violence Rises In Haiti, Gang Leader Killed As Transition Council Close To Being Established". Arise News. 22 March 2024.
  36. ↑ Jones, Sam (4 March 2024). "Haiti declares state of emergency after thousands of dangerous inmates escape". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  37. ↑ "Haiti". United States Department of State. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  38. ↑ "Haiti". United States Department of State. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  39. ↑ "High-Level CARICOM Meeting on Haiti – Office of the Prime Minister". 15 March 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  40. ↑ "Canada is evacuating 'most vulnerable' citizens from Haiti: Joly - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  41. ↑ étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Haiti – Special flights for vulnerable French nationals wishing to leave Port-au-Prince (24 Mar. 2024)". France Diplomacy - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

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