Despite the reign of terror imposed by gangs in Haiti, which included mass kidnappings and arbitrary killings, the embattled prime minister managed to retain power for several years.
However, everything changed rapidly in a matter of days.
Amidst unprecedented political turmoil since the assassination of the country’s president in 2021, Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to step down. Now, neighboring countries are scrambling to establish a transitional council to govern the country and prepare for elections, a prospect that previously seemed distant.
Experts attribute the shift in power to the gangs uniting, compelling the country’s leader to relinquish control.
Judes Jonathas, a Haitian consultant with extensive experience in aid delivery, stated, “Prime Minister Ariel resigned not due to political pressure or street demonstrations against him, but because of the violent actions carried out by gangs. The situation has completely transformed now with the gangs working in unison.”
The extent of the gang alliance’s strength and longevity remains uncertain. However, it is evident that the gangs are attempting to leverage their control over Port-au-Prince, the capital, to establish themselves as a legitimate political entity in the ongoing negotiations facilitated by foreign governments such as the United States, France, and Caribbean nations.
In early March, Mr. Henry traveled to Nairobi to finalize a deal for a Kenyan-led security force to be deployed to Haiti. Exploiting Mr. Henry’s absence, criminal groups swiftly took action. Within days, they paralyzed the airport, raided seaports, attacked multiple police stations, and released approximately 4,600 prisoners from custody.
Demanding Mr. Henry’s resignation, the gangs threatened to escalate violence if he did not comply. Since his resignation, the gangs seem primarily focused on securing immunity from prosecution and avoiding imprisonment, according to analysts.
“Their main goal is amnesty,” remarked Mr. Jonathas.
The gangs’ key political ally is Guy Philippe, a former police commander and coup leader who returned to Haiti last year after serving a six-year sentence in U.S. federal prison for money laundering. He spearheaded the campaign for Mr. Henry’s resignation.
Currently, Mr. Philippe is advocating openly for the gangs to receive amnesty.
Mr. Philippe, leveraging his connections with the Pitit Desalin political party, is pushing for these demands at the negotiation table in Jamaica, where Caribbean and international officials are working to resolve the crisis in Haiti.
The decision of gang leaders to unite was likely driven by a desire to consolidate power following Mr. Henry’s agreement with Kenya to deploy 1,000 police officers to Port-au-Prince, as noted by William O’Neill, the UN human rights expert on Haiti.
Many gang members in Haiti are teenagers seeking financial gain, with little interest in engaging in conflict with a well-equipped police force, according to Mr. O’Neill.
The gangs operate based on “fear and force,” Mr. O’Neill explained. “They fear a superior force.”
While doubts persist about the Kenyan force’s ability to bring lasting stability, its arrival would pose the most significant challenge to the gangs’ territorial dominance in years.
Many have heard about the Kenyan-led force for years, said Louis-Henri Mars, the executive director of Lakou Lapè, an organization working with Haitian gangs. “When they saw it was finally happening, they launched a pre-emptive strike.”
The violence unleashed by the gangs paralyzed much of the capital, preventing Mr. Henry from returning to Haiti.
This marked a turning point, as the United States and Caribbean leaders deemed Haiti’s situation “untenable.” U.S. officials concluded that Mr. Henry was no longer a viable partner and intensified their calls for a swift transition of power, according to insiders involved in the political negotiations.
Since then, gang leaders have been engaging with the media, holding press conferences, pledging peace, and demanding a seat at the negotiating table.
Jimmy Chérizier, a formidable gang leader known as Barbecue, has emerged as a prominent figure in the new gang alliance, called Living Together.
Mr. Chérizier’s G-9 gang, led by the former police officer notorious for his brutality, controls downtown Port-au-Prince and has been accused of targeting neighborhoods aligned with opposition parties, committing looting, sexual assaults, and arbitrary killings.
Despite this, Mr. Chérizier has expressed remorse for the violence in his press conferences, attributing Haiti’s destitution and inequality to its economic and political systems. Mr. Philippe shares similar sentiments.
“Those young individuals have limited options – either starve to death or take up arms,” Mr. Philippe told The Times. “They chose the latter.”
Reporting contributed by Andre Paultre from Port-au-Prince.
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