‘Barbecue’ gang leader threatens civil war and genocide in Haiti Musk: ‘Don’t donate money to any American presidential candidate’

The situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate following an attack by armed gangs on the national prison in the capital Port-au-Prince. Powerful gang leader Jimmy Chérisier, also known as ‘Barbecue’, warned of further escalation: “If Ariel Henry does not resign and the international community continues to support him, we are heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide.” he said, according to the news channel France 24.

According to the report, the 46-year-old said:

Chérisier leads a group of gangs known as the ‘G9 Family and Allies’. Reports say his role model is François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, who ruled Haiti in the 1960s and 1970s – with ruthless brutality. Chérisier is a former police officer who is under UN sanctions for human rights violations.

Prime Minister’s return postponed

Meanwhile, escalating gang violence has apparently delayed Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s return. Authorities in the Caribbean state of Puerto Rico confirmed Tuesday evening that Henry’s government plane had briefly landed there. But she does not know whether Henry is still in Puerto Rico, the governor’s spokeswoman told the AFP news agency.

Due to the violence, it was not possible to fly to the airport in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. In the neighboring Dominican Republic, Henry was denied permission to land, Dominican media group CDN reported. The Dominican Republic suspended all flights to Haiti on Tuesday.

Gangs fight for Henry’s resignation

The violence escalated last Thursday. Rival armed groups that control large parts of the country are apparently fighting together for the resignation of Prime Minister Henry, who was supposed to leave office in early February. Last week he traveled to Kenya, where he signed an agreement for the deployment of Kenyan police forces in Haiti. Kenya had agreed to lead a multinational response force approved by the UN Security Council to stabilize the situation in Haiti.

On Saturday evening, criminal gangs stormed the national prison in the capital Port-au-Prince to free prisoners. The latest attacks are apparently part of a coordinated operation by criminal gangs organized under the name “Vivre Ensemble” (“Living Together”). Gang leader Chérisier said the gunmen had committed terrible acts, but “I believe society must forgive them and unite to create a new Haiti.”

Serious crisis in Haiti

The Caribbean state of Haiti has been in a serious crisis for years, involving not only gang violence, but also political instability and economic hardship. According to the UN, the number of people in the country needing humanitarian aid has doubled in the past five years alone.

The assassination of President Moïse in 2021 has dramatically deteriorated the security situation. According to the UN, more than 1,100 people were killed, injured or abducted in Haiti in January alone. The country’s criminal gangs appear to be better armed than the police. There have been no elections in the Caribbean country since 2016. The post of president is vacant.