Gangs in Haiti attacked some areas in Port-au-Prince, burning houses and shooting at the police for hours. Many people ran away from the violence on Thursday. This was one of the largest attacks since Haiti’s new prime minister was announced.
The attacks started on Wednesday night in areas like Solino and Delmas 18, 20, and 24, which are near the airport. The airport has been closed for almost two months because of a lot of gang violence.
“A man named Nene said the gangs were burning everything they could see, but he didn’t want to give his full name because he was afraid. ” “I stayed in a corner all night so no one could see me. ”
He walked with a friend and they carried a dusty red suitcase that was full of clothes – it was the only thing they could keep. Nene hurriedly took his children’s clothes and rushed them out of Delmas 18 at dawn when the fighting stopped for a while.
The streets that used to be busy with cars and people were empty and quiet in the morning, except for the sound of a goat.
A strong police truck drove around on the streets, passing burned cars and walls made of cinderblocks. On one wall, someone had written “Viv Babecue,” which is a message in Haitian Creole about a famous gang leader in Haiti.
People whose houses were not damaged in the attack in Delmas 18 and nearby areas carried fans, stoves, mattresses, and bags of clothes as they ran away on foot, motorcycles, or colorful small buses called tap-taps. Some people were walking with nothing because they had lost everything.
“Paul Pierre, who was 47 years old, said there were lots of gunshots all around while he was walking with his partner. They were looking for a place to stay after their house got burned down. ” They couldn’t keep any of their things.
He said that during the night, fighting caused children to be separated from their parents and wives from their husbands as people ran away in fear. He said, “Everyone is just trying to save themselves. ”
Martineda, a woman who did not want to give her last name because she was scared, said she became homeless when armed men set her home on fire. She ran away with her four-year-old because they both tried to escape when they heard the gunshots on Wednesday night.
“I said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid. “This is how people live in Haiti,” she said as she carried a heavy load of items on her head, like butter that she wanted to sell to make money and find a new place to live.
“Last night was scary. There was gunfire all night long and no one could sleep. ” Everyone was moving quickly on their feet.
The attack happened in an area controlled by Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer called Barbecue, who leads a powerful gang group named G9 Family and Allies.
He and other leaders of gangs have been accused of working together to carry out attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince, starting on Feb 29. Criminals set fire to police stations, shot at the main airport, and broke into Haiti’s two largest prisons, letting more than 4,000 prisoners escape.
The attacks made Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down. A new group of leaders chose a new prime minister, Fritz Belizaire, who used to be a sports minister. The decision is causing a lot of arguments among the nine council members who just started their job last week.
New leaders are now running the country. But there are arguments going on. People in Haiti want the new leaders to make sure they are safe. Gangs are still stronger and have better weapons than the police in Haiti.
The UN says that more than 2,500 people were hurt or killed from January to March this year, which is over 50% more than last year.
In the last month, over 90,000 people have left Port-au-Prince because gangs that control 80% of the city are now targeting areas that used to be safe.
Ernest Aubrey remembered when he came to Delmas 18 ten years ago. Now, he is moving out of his house for the first time.
“It’s a lot. ” “We can’t fight them anymore,” he said about the gangs. “They are taking all our stuff. ”
He saw a friend in a car and ran to ask for a ride because he had a heavy bag.
Vanessa Vieux was one of the few who chose to stay in Delmas 18. She sent her elderly mom to the countryside after the attack on Wednesday. She decided not to give up her home to gangs. Additionally, she believes in Haiti’s police force.
“I live beside a police officer,” she said. “That’s why I’m not afraid. ” or “That’s why I’m not worried. “