Telecom company Digicel complains Haiti crisis affecting its services

Telecommunication company Digicel says the ongoing political crisis in Haiti is having a “major impact” on its operations with many “of our optical fibers” being stolen or severely damaged due to ongoing gang violence.

In a statement, Digicel said due to the difficulty of moving across the country, operations such as the maintenance and repair of antennas and fiber optics and all other operational activities have become more difficult.

“In some areas, many of our optical fibers are badly damaged by trees cut down to make barricades or roads dug for the same reasons,” it said, noting that on Tuesday, people cut a fiber optic line severely disrupting Internet users in the Artibonite and North-West departments.

“We remind the population that the company will continue to do everything possible to allow its customers to stay connected in this difficult situation, and we take this opportunity to ask the population to contribute to the protection of its infrastructure,” Digicel said.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the death of Marie Lydie Duvivier, a Digicel employee, who was murdered in the commune of Tabarre on Tuesday. Media reports said she was killed during an attempted kidnapping.

Many Haitians have been kidnapped for ransom as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country continues to experience unrest with opposition politicians staging protests calling for the removal of Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry from office.

The leader of the opposition “Pitit Dessalin” Party, Jean Charles Moïse, is calling for protests across the island on September 20 to coincide with the 264^th birthday of Jean Jacques Dessalines, a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution

Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry has condemned persons whom he said want to acquire political power in the CARICOM country without first seeking a mandate from the population.

Henry, who has been acting as president since July last year, gave a commitment that the country will be in election mode before the end of 2022.

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CMC/