By Ralph Tedy Erol
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Haiti’s strongest gang chief referred to as for the armed overthrow of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, urging Haitians to take to the streets in opposition to the unelected authorities within the newest escalation of a rustic present process humanitarian disaster.
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, a former police officer who now heads a strong coalition of gangs that controls massive components of Port-au-Prince, led his group of armed males on a march by means of the capital on Tuesday, blocking roads and banging drums.
“We’re launching the combat to overturn Ariel Henry’s authorities in any approach,” gang chief Cherizier advised Reuters. “Our combat will probably be with weapons.”
He added that “demonstrations in all working-class neighborhoods” would happen day by day in opposition to Henry’s authorities, which he mentioned had no legitimacy.
Haitian gangs, which continuously interact police in gun battles and revenue from actions resembling extortion and drug trafficking, have grown in energy for the reason that 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
The assassination created an influence vacuum, with Prime Minister Ariel Henry governing on an interim foundation since. Henry has pledged to carry elections as soon as safety is re-established, and has referred to as for worldwide assist in preventing the gangs.
“The worldwide group can not proceed to do that in Haiti,” Cherizier mentioned. “If the worldwide group has nothing to do with (Moise’s) dying, they have to not assist Ariel Henry.”
Cherizier additionally mentioned that residents of the densely populated Carrefour Feuilles neighborhood who left their properties due to gang violence would quickly be capable to return and reside in peace.
The menace from Cherizier comes as Kenya assesses main a multinational United Nations-backed power to assist Haiti’s under-gunned police combat the gangs.
Greater than 19,000 folks have been displaced from the capital in latest weeks because of the outbreak of armed violence, in response to U.N. estimates.
(Reporting by Ralph Tedy Erol; Writing by Kylie Madry; Enhancing by Alex Richardson)