The leader of a Haitian gang, Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, declared his intent to continue opposing Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
He urged families to keep their children at home to “prevent unintended harm” as violence escalates in parts of the capital.
Gunfire and disruptions in traffic plagued certain areas of Haiti’s capital, with more residents fleeing their homes amidst burnt buses and smoky barricades.
“We’ll keep fighting Ariel Henry as long as it takes.
To prevent any harm to innocent bystanders, keep the kids at home,” said Cherizier during a press briefing.
Cherizier, a former police officer, leads a coalition of gangs and previously caused turmoil by blocking the country’s largest oil terminal in 2022.
He has faced sanctions from both the United Nations and the United States Department of Treasury.
Reports emerged late Friday of armed individuals attempting to seize control of the capital’s main container port, while gangs threatened further attacks on police stations. However, Reuters could not immediately verify these claims.
A video circulating on social media purported to show the murder of two police officers, confirmed by SYNAPOHA police union leader Lionel Lazare as depicting some of the four officers slain on Thursday.
Another police union, the SPNH, gathered at the force headquarters, demanding the retrieval of the bodies.
In response, Prime Minister Henry’s office expressed “outrage” over the violence orchestrated by armed groups and extended condolences to the victims’ families, pledging to work towards resolving the conflict.
Violence escalated during Henry’s visit to Kenya, coinciding with the signing of a security agreement between the two countries.
The deal aims to address a domestic court’s objections to Kenya’s plan of dispatching 1,000 police officers for a U.N.-approved mission targeting gang violence in Haiti.
Henry had recently attended a Caribbean summit in Guyana, where he assured leaders of holding elections by August 2025, following a delay due to insecurity concerns.
Assuming office after the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s former president, Henry’s government aims to facilitate a peaceful transition of power, in addition to securing routes for humanitarian aid.
According to the United Nations, approximately 300,000 Haitians have been displaced from their homes.
