Just a day after Haiti’s Prime Minister arriving in Kenya, notorious gangs have launched gunfire battles in police stations and airports in the country’s capital Port-au-Prince.
At least 4 police officers (including a police inspector) have been killed & Toussaint Louverture Airport, Haiti’s main international airport, forced to suspend operations.
The armed clashes involving gangs, police and vigilantes broke barely a day after Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry arriving in Kenya for talks on the deployment of a multinational security mission in the country.
The attacks led to most institutions and businesses in the city neing closed down and thousands of Haitians fleeing the capital on foot, some using public transport.
PM Henry who came to power after the assassination of the Haiti’s President in 2021, had pledged to step down by early February, but later said security must first be re-established in order to ensure free and fair elections, what is now thought to be fueling the clashes.
Violent gangs have since expanded their territory and are now estimated to control most of the capital. UN estimates the conflict has led to the death of at least 5,000 people in 2023 alone while over 300,000 have fled their homes.
The attacks have blocked thousands of Haitians from accessing food, medical care and other basic essential services.
