What is occurring in Haiti? Here is some information to be aware of.
There are criminal groups in Haiti that hold more power than the state’s security forces.attacked prisons and the airport
The city’s capital was impacted, leading to the closure of businesses and schools. This also resulted in around 15,000 individuals being displaced from their homes in Port-au-Prince.
On Wednesday, the highest human rights official of the United Nations issued a warning.
Haiti’s circumstancesnoting more than 1
Global initiatives to provide assistance.
So far, there has been no progress.
Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, requested the immediate implementation of a multinational security team to support the struggling police and military forces in Haiti. He stated that there are no other viable options to safeguard lives.
The situation escalated on February 29 when Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled to Kenya to advocate for the U.N.’s support in sending a police force to combat gang violence.
Loud gunshots could be heard throughout the city as well-known gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier declared that his gang, G9, had united with other gangs to pressure Henry into resigning.
Patrick Boivert, the Finance Minister and interim Prime Minister of Haiti during Henry’s absence, announced a state of emergency on March 3. He also stated that a curfew would be implemented in the evenings in order to regain control of the situation.
On March 5th, while Henry was still in his position but not present in the country, Cherizier issued a warning that stated if the prime minister did not step down and if the global community continued to back him, it would result in a civil war and potentially genocide.
According to Cherizier, it is important for Haiti to become either a paradise or a hell for everyone. It is not acceptable for a small group of wealthy individuals residing in luxury hotels to make decisions for those living in low-income communities. This statement may pertain to the ongoing emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York regarding the future of Haiti.
Where can Ariel Henry, the Prime Minister of Haiti, be located?
Despite the increasing demands for his resignation, Henry has been unable to travel back to Haiti. Prior to his trip to Kenya, he attended a summit in the South American nation of Guyana with the regional trade group Caricom, during which Haiti was a prominent topic of discussion.
Unfortunately, Henry’s plane was unable to land in the Dominican Republic due to the country closing their airspace to and from Haiti. As a result, Henry arrived in Puerto Rico on the afternoon of March 5. According to Héctor Porcella, director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation, the plane did not have the necessary flight plan, causing delays and disruptions to their travel plans.
On March 6, a representative from the Caribbean informed The Associated Press that Caricom leaders had a conversation with Henry the night before and suggested various solutions to resolve the growing crisis. This included Henry’s possible resignation, which he declined.
Andrew Kasuku/AP
On the same day, when questioned about whether the U.S. government had advised Henry to resign, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, simply stated that the Biden administration had requested him to actively work towards a political process which would result in the formation of a transitional council and eventual elections.
She stated that it is urgent for him to move in that direction and begin the process of restoring normalcy to the people of Haiti.
Some other Haitian leaders are joining forces to take over the country while Henry is away. This new alliance includes Guy Philippe, a former rebel leader, and Moïse Jean Charles, a former presidential candidate and senator. On Wednesday, they announced that they have formed a council of three to govern Haiti.
Henry has not publicly commented since gangs took control of important infrastructure sites towards the end of last week while he was in Kenya.
What caused the worsening situation in Haiti?
successive administrations have failed to address the underlying issues.
Haiti has faced continuous political turmoil for two decades, caused by governmental corruption. However, consecutive administrations have neglected to tackle the root problems, perpetuating the instability in this small country.powerful earthquakes
Both in 2010 and 2021, no efforts were made to improve the challenging conditions faced by the community. The earthquake that struck in 2010 resulted in one of the largest death tolls in history, claiming approximately 250,000 lives and causing severe damage to the island’s already fragile infrastructure.
The latest round of attacks began in late February after Henry pledged to hold long-awaited general elections, but not until mid-2025. He’d been due to step down voluntarily by February but declined to do so, infuriating many Haitians and sparking the gangs’ uprising.
The current crisis can be traced directly back to 2021, however, when then- =
The leader of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, who holds the title of Prime Minister.
The leader, who did not have a democratic mandate and was ruling by decree, was assassinated amidst a growing economic and political crisis.
Henry became prime minister quickly after being supported by the international community, but his power was never fully established as Haitians continued to struggle with high prices and deteriorating infrastructure.
Reworded: CBS Reports presents a special report on the plight of Haiti at 22:15.
The nation has been unsuccessful in conducting legislative or national elections for a prolonged period and presently lacks any elected representatives.
Who is the person known as Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier?
Cherizier leads a group called G9 Family and Allies, which is a federation of gangs. He used to work as a high-ranking police officer, but has since turned against the government in Haiti.
crippled the country.
In the latter part of 2022, he gained power over a region encompassing a crucial fuel station in the city of Port-au-Prince for a period of approximately two months.
What is the number of gangs and their level of influence?
There are approximately 200 groups of gang members in Haiti, and it is believed that 23 of these are the primary ones operating in the city of Port-au-Prince.
Until recent years, they controlled some 60% of the capital, but that area has since grown to about 80%, according to U.N. officials.
criminal organizations
Reworded: The illegal transportation of weapons and the payment of ransom to abductors have allowed the gangs to gain greater financial autonomy, ultimately increasing their influence as criminal groups.state has weakened
The police department is underfunded and under-resourced, resulting in their inability to control these issues.
A recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime states that current gangs possess a significantly greater level of military strength compared to those ten years ago. This can be attributed to their success in obtaining quality weapons.
The group stated that the gangs’ obtaining of these weapons had greatly altered the landscape of violence in the nation.
According to a United Nations report from 2023, the weapons that were recovered and intended for Haitian ports consisted of sniper rifles with a .50 caliber, rifles with a .308 caliber, and even machine guns with belt-fed mechanisms.
Source: cbsnews.com