In a harrowing display of power, gangs in Haiti launched an attack on several neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, setting homes ablaze and engaging in prolonged gun battles with law enforcement.
The rampage unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, marking one of the most significant onslaughts since the announcement of Haiti’s new prime minister.
The onslaught commenced late Wednesday, spreading fear and destruction through neighborhoods such as Solino, Delmas 18, 20, and 24, located southwest of the city’s main international airport.
These areas, gripped by relentless gang violence, witnessed a night of terror as armed groups unleashed chaos, leaving residents scrambling to safety.
Desperate escape
Residents like Néne, who witnessed the mayhem firsthand, described a scene of utter devastation.
Fleeing for their lives, many could salvage only the bare necessities, clutching dusty suitcases stuffed with clothing as they sought refuge from the violence.
A city transformed
Once bustling thoroughfares were transformed into ghostly enclaves, deserted except for the haunting echoes of gunfire and the occasional presence of armored police vehicles patrolling charred streets.
Amidst the ruins, graffiti bearing the ominous message “Viv Babecue” served as a grim reminder of the gang’s dominance.
An exodus
The violence triggered a mass exodus, with displaced residents fleeing on foot, motorcycle, or crowded tap-taps, clutching whatever possessions they could salvage.
For many, the flight was an agonizing ordeal, marked by the loss of homes and cherished belongings.
Gang rule
The attack, orchestrated in an area under the control of gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” underscored the reign of terror imposed by powerful criminal syndicates like the G9 Family and Allies.
These groups, implicated in a spate of coordinated assaults across the capital, have plunged Haiti into a state of perpetual unrest.
Political turmoil
Against this backdrop of violence, Haiti grapples with political instability, as the abrupt appointment of a new prime minister threatens to deepen divisions within the transitional presidential council.
As rival factions vie for power, ordinary Haitians demand decisive action to curb the escalating threat posed by criminal gangs.
With over 2,500 casualties reported in the first quarter of the year alone, and tens of thousands fleeing their homes in the face of escalating violence, Haiti teeters on the brink of collapse.
