Unidentified assailants believed to be linked to an out-of-control organized crime network in the country reportedly ransacked and set fire to the home of Haiti’s National Police Chief Franz Herbe on Thursday.
Hervé’s home was reportedly one of several targets of terrorist attacks by the gang on Thursday, amid a resurgence of gang violence after a period of calm on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The move comes after Prime Minister Ariel Henry departed for a visit to Kenya earlier this month, in which he asked the country to send police officers to help use Haiti’s depleted law enforcement resources to combat the threat of terrorism. , the gang almost took over the entire country. gang. Since Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home in 2021, Henry, unelected and seemingly without popular support, has effectively ruled the country. After Henry flees Haiti, the G9 and Family Gang Syndicate, led by Jimmy, are formed. Barbecue’ Chérisier launched a raid, freeing 4,000 prisoners and besieging Port-au-Prince airport, making Henry’s return impossible.
Mr. Henry is stranded in Puerto Rico as of press time and announced his plans to resign on Monday. Henry insisted he would not formally relinquish his post until his country established a “transitional presidential council” tasked with selecting a new prime minister and holding elections with the support of the international community.
As of Thursday, the “Council of Presidents” Was chosen 6 out of 7 planned members. But the council’s plan is particularly popular in Haiti, where it faces significant opposition, particularly from Chéridier. threat On Thursday, they staged a protest against the families of people who sit on or substantially support the council. Another prominent opponent of the council is Guy Philippe, a gang-affiliated political leader who is barred from joining the council because of his conviction for money laundering in the United States.President Joe Biden’s administration released In September, he allowed Philippe to return to Haiti and vie for power.
Haiti remains unsafe for Henry to return to, and the few remaining leaders in the country are under siege. “Armed individuals” on Thursday. attacked The Elbe police chief’s home was reportedly looted before the arson. Hervé and his family were reportedly not present because they had been in constant danger for years.
henry appointed He was appointed Elbe police chief in October 2021 as one of the first moves to try to ensure order in the country after Moïse’s murder. Mr. Herbe appears to be prioritizing seeking support for police officers from the United Nations, the United States, and other foreign countries. include Organizing security plans to prevent gangs from overrunning the country.
Anonymous sources familiar with the situation told a Haitian newspaper. le nouvelleist On Thursday, it announced that the assault was “the culmination of a series of politically motivated defamations and verbal attacks on social networks and media coverage directed against the Director-General.”The newspaper did not identify those who may have been involved in the alleged defamation campaign against the Elbe Island, but Chéridier named Although the gang leader openly calls it a “bloody revolution,” he is said to be opposed to the rebellion as an elitist.
Chérisier, who last week threatened to commit “genocide” if Henry did not resign, told ABC News that firing Henry would not end the rampant violence.
“The first step is to overthrow Ariel Henry, and then we will begin a real fight against the current system, the corrupt oligarchic system, and the corrupt traditional politicians,” he said. explained. “We’re not only fighting Ariel Henry, we’re also fighting all of his accomplices of some sort.”
Cherisier again threatened Haiti’s political elite on Thursday, claiming: “I will know if your children are in Haiti, if your wives are in Haiti.”
“Aren’t you ashamed? You put this country where it is today. You don’t know what will happen,” Cheridier yelled in a video message.
In another message this week, Chéridier Said His gang planned to capture Elbe Island.
le nouvelleist Since February 29, it has recorded more than a dozen attacks on police stations and multiple attacks on prisons aimed at freeing prisoners. According to some reports, the raid on the prison was so successful that the National Penitentiary witnessed the escape of 90 percent of its inmates.
of the people prison It also flared up on Thursday under uncertain circumstances.
Firefighters arrive to put out a small fire at the deserted national prison as national police patrol in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility where hundreds of inmates were killed in an attack by gunmen late on March 2. ran away. (Oderin Joseph/Associated Press)
“According to some sources, several prisoners inside the facility were quickly evacuated and classified documents were preserved,” local news outlet Haiti 24 reported.
