Chaos Unfolds in Haiti as Thousands of Inmates Escape
Haiti has historically struggled with the consequences of political corruption, interspersed with being subject to a constant threat of chronic violence. It has been estimated that around 5.5 million Haitians are currently in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
The situation in the small Caribbean country has reached an all-time high and is projected to worsen, with the BBC issuing an article earlier today entitled “Haiti spirals to collapse as gangs tighten grip”. [1] More than 4, 000 dangerous criminals, including murders and kidnappers, were reported to have escaped from the main prison institutions in the capital. In the violent massacre that ensued, hundreds were tragically killed; only around 100 of Port-au-Prince´s National Penitentiary´s estimated 3, 800 inmates were still inside the facility on Sunday after the assault (as reported by Pierre Esperance of the National Network for Defence of Human Rights). Following the incident, Haiti declared a 72-hour “state of emergency” on Sunday, as well as a nightly curfew, which has now been prolonged, and the government ordered security forces to enforce its orders with all legal means at their disposal.
The nightmare does not end here.
Haiti continues to plunge deeper into chaos through the gang's takeover of the country, attacking government structures and bringing social order to the brink of collapse. In a recent video posted on social media, the powerful police officer turned gang leader Jimmy Cherisier – known by the nickname Barbecue – commented that armed groups in Haiti are acting in concert “to get Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down”. An ultimatum has been made: Haiti must face the threat of imminent civil war unless the temporarily exiled leader steps down and the international community ceases to support him.
This reaction is in part a response to the country's Prime Minister’s visit to Kenya with the intention of signing a deal that will see 1000 police officers of the East African country deployed to Haiti. The intention of this mission was to lead a UN-backed “law and order” mission to the gang-plagued nation. The Biden administration has offered Haiti financial aid in the contribution of $300 million to the Kenyan multinational security mission, as well as $33 million in humanitarian assistance. Whilst logistical support has also been extended, the US refused to commit troops to any multinational force, but claims it is monitoring the security situation with grave concern.
Since the prison escape, the gangs have been decimating the country and left it in desperate need of even the most basic of supplies. Virtually all of Port-au-Prince is being controlled as well as the main roads to and from the capital, including two airports and several police stations. Nearly all flights in and out of the country's main international airport have been cancelled, with gangs launching a renewed assault on the compound on Tuesday – there is no possibility of escape for these innocent Haitians caught in the crossfire of a dying political body.
Haiti's national police have roughly 9, 000 officers to provide security for more than 11 million people, according to the UN. This leaves them routinely overwhelmed and outgunned by gangs. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and are living in a state of extreme crisis, adding to the more than 300, 000 already displaced by gang violence.
Efforts to broker a solution have sadly been unsuccessful. Caribbean leaders issued a call late Friday for an emergency meeting in Jamaica regarding the “dire” Haiti situation, inviting the United States, France, Canada, the UN and Brazil. However, Caricom, the 15-nation Caribbean bloc, has issued that. whilst regional leaders remain deeply engaged in trying to bring opposition parties and civil society groups together to form a unity government, a solution is yet to be reached.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti has closed its land border and declared that Ariel Henry is not welcomed due to safety reasons, which reflects the firm position of the Dominican government to safeguard its own national security and stability.
Many have taken on the view, in predicting that if a peacekeeping force is not implemented urgently to restore order in Haiti, the situation will deteriorate even further.
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By Estella Neumayr
