Armed gangs failed in their bid to storm the Haitian National Palace on Monday. At least five police officers were injured, one gravely, as killings, kidnappings, and looting continue to plague Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, amid persistent unrest.
The Haitian National Police (HNP) stopped the assault on the country’s political symbol, a move witnessed by international agencies. The operation was led by the armed coalition known as ‘Vivre Ensemble’ (Live Together), under the leadership of former officer Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue. Security units at the Palace aided the police in repelling the attackers, who struck the central Champs de Mars square, sending crowds scrambling to avoid gunfire. The assailants also set fire to a police armored vehicle that had broken down near the Palace.
In response, authorities extended the curfew to Wednesday across the Ouest department, where Port-au-Prince is located. That region has been under a state of emergency since March 6, amid violence from armed gangs that now hold almost full control of the metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has pledged to resign as soon as the Transitional Presidential Council is formed, committed on Monday to ensuring a peaceful handover of power to the new body. The Council of Ministers announced that it would request from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) the agreement establishing the council’s creation.
Scenes of death become disturbingly routine
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Earlier today, four bodies were found in Pétion-Ville on the hills above Port-au-Prince, apparently riddled with bullets. Three of the corpses lay together, face down, in a bloodstained area, while the fourth was discovered in a nearby alley, according to observers.
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Residents flocked to the scene, including children, a scene all too familiar in Haiti over the past weeks. Bodies have become a daily sight in Pétion-ville as clashes between gangs and police continue to erupt in the area.
Despite the current surge in violence, analysts note that the levels do not yet match the spikes seen in late February and early March, when armed groups attacked institutions, businesses, and private property in the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who remains abroad while opposition demands his removal intensify. Those earlier days saw massacres, attacks, and a startling prison break on March 2 that freed about 3,600 inmates, including many gang leaders.
Around the same time, areas around the international airport and other key government buildings like the Presidential Palace and the Interior Ministry were targeted or looted by militants.
Rising alarm over Haiti’s situation
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The United Nations reported last week that the crisis amounts to a catastrophe, with more than 1,500 people killed by armed groups in the first three months of the year.
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The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti called the violence levels dire, noting that more than 5.5 million people depend on humanitarian aid to survive, displacement surpasses 362,000, and over half the population faces food insecurity. The healthcare system is strained, schools have been shuttered in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area for a month, and many communities are cut off from essential services.
Pope Francis, in his Easter message, urged an end to the violence in Haiti and encouraged progress toward democracy and fraternity in a country where a large Christian majority lives.
The United Nations has expressed concern and will hold a session at the Human Rights Council, while the Organization of American States (OAS) plans to discuss a resolution supporting a democratic transition in Haiti in its upcoming meeting.