The Pm Of Haiti Orders Gangs To “Drop Your Weapons And Recognize The State’s Authority”

Wednesday, the prime minister of Haiti urged gangs to give up their firearms in a speech to the people.

Gary Conille observed, “Every day in Port-au-Prince has become a battle for survival.”

In the first three months of the year, gang violence claimed the lives of 2,500 people, including at least 82 children, according to the UN.

An estimated 80% of the capital is under the grip of gangs.

Conille sent a warning to gangs saying, “Drop your weapons and recognize the authority of the state.”

Conille pledged to “deliver” for the Caribbean country struggling with intertwined security, humanitarian, and political issues when he took office in June.

A strong gang leader named Jimmy Cherizier charged earlier this month that the prime minister had failed to initiate communication with the coalition he leads.

Cherizier, better known as Barbecue, demanded a national conversation.

With the goal of assisting their local counterparts in restoring security, police personnel from Kenya, Chad, and Benin are part of a multinational security support mission that is currently deployed to Haiti.

Gangs planned attacks on vital state facilities in late February. In addition to seizing over two dozen police stations, they also attacked Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing over 4,000 prisoners, and opened fire on the country’s principal international airport, forcing it to close for almost three months.