Hundreds of Haitians packed up their belongings and fled a previously safe area of Port-au-Prince on Thursday as fierce fighting broke out between gangs and police.
The gangs were apparently emboldened by the ouster of caretaker Prime Minister Garry Conneill. was fired The interim government's announcement on Sunday brought a new wave of turmoil to the island nation.
More than 4,300 residents of Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns have been evacuated from their homes since Sunday, the United Nations International Office for Migration (IOM) said, as gangs took advantage of the political turmoil caused by Conil's ouster. shut down Photographed by plane at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, move to The area has historically resisted gang takeover.
The United Nations has reported 20 gunfights in Port-au-Prince in just one day, updated gang strength estimates and warned that various gang alliances now control 85 percent of the capital.
Reporters saw crowds of panicked residents fleeing the Port-au-Prince area, clutching suitcases and children. Within days, the entire neighborhood was emptied. Some refugees say they have been forced from their homes and burned down by gangs. Smoke could be seen rising in videos on social media.
'Gangs are more powerful than police', says person fleeing Haiti said Associated Press.
Haiti's new interim prime minister and businessman Alix Didier Fissuéme no statement was issued As for violence, he did, but promise When he took office on Monday, he vowed to restore “the safety of our people, the security of goods and infrastructure, food security and freedom of movement.”
Meanwhile, gang bosses are becoming increasingly willing to declare themselves Haiti's new authorities. The gang's leader, Joseph Wilson, was known as “Ranmou Sanjo” among the Viv Ansanmu criminal coalition he led. said The Haitian nation announced Sunday that his soldiers would “take to the streets” to enforce their own order.
“If you act recklessly on our streets, you will pay the price tomorrow,” he said Sunday, just as a wave of gang violence is raging.
The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, known by its French acronym MSF, reported Several employees called police on Monday and were tear gassed by an angry mob after police and vigilantes believed the patients they were transporting might be gang members. Some of the patients were dragged away and executed.
Christophe Garnier, head of MSF's mission in Haiti, said: “This is a shocking act of violence that casts serious doubt on MSF's ability to continue to provide the care that Haitians need.” Ta. MSF is one of the few non-governmental organizations (NGOs) still operating in Haiti.
Interim Council President Leslie Voltaire said On Wednesday, he predicted that although a new wave of gang violence and territorial conquest was apparently triggered by Conil's ouster, Fils-Eme would keep his promise to restore order.
“They thought there was a vacuum and they tried to fill that void, but I think once they see that there's a new chief and there's a new sheriff in town, they're going to be less aggressive,” he said. .
“I think the gangs are joining forces to see how far the U.S. can go without doing anything,” surmised Ulf Panfil, founder of the Washington-based Haiti Policy House.
The US State Department seemed to be running out of patience with Haiti's interim government. complain On Tuesday, the council said it had been “unable to move forward in a constructive way” regarding Mr Coneil's removal and called on Mr Fils Emme to come up with a plan of action to “prevent further impasse”.
“The urgent and pressing needs of the Haitian people require the transitional government to prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” the State Department said.
