Haiti’s Justice Ministry issued a call on Tuesday for heightened security measures to protect Prime Minister Garry Conille and other Cabinet members following unspecified threats suggesting they could be targeted by malicious actors.
While the ministry did not disclose specific details, it cited “consistent and persistent” intelligence indicating that top officials might be in danger from unnamed groups intent on causing “trouble and panic” in the country. The ministry urged police and judicial authorities to take swift action to ensure the officials’ safety.
Neither judicial authorities nor the prime minister’s office responded to requests for comment regarding the potential threats.
This warning comes amid a surge in gang violence in neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital that had previously remained outside of gang control. The violence has escalated just months after a U.N.-backed security mission, led by Kenyan police, began operations in the country. Over 4,000 people have been displaced due to recent attacks in areas such as Solino and Tabarre 27 in Port-au-Prince.
The recent wave of violence, which began nearly a week ago, is attributed to the gang coalition “Viv Ansanm.” The group had previously orchestrated attacks in February targeting critical government infrastructure, which eventually led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Attacks were also reported in the coastal town of Arcahaie, northwest of Port-au-Prince, and in the central town of Estere, where gunmen opened fire near a school this week, killing one parent and injuring a student. Estere is located just north of Pont-Sondé, where at least 115 people were killed by gang members this month in one of the largest massacres in Haiti’s recent history.
The Justice Ministry’s statement has raised alarm, particularly in light of the 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse at his private residence, which plunged Haiti into deeper political instability.
Adding to the tension, gang leaders behind the recent attacks have threatened journalists covering the violence, naming specific reporters and calling for their deaths. On Tuesday, the Association of Haitian Journalists condemned these threats and urged authorities to protect media personnel.
In a recent interview with Magik9 radio, Justice Minister Carlos Hercule attributed the violence to unspecified “forces of darkness” that he claimed had operated in Haiti 20 years ago. “We have information,” Hercule said without elaborating. He added, “At every moment of calm, they form coalitions with ex-convicts and delinquents who carry illegal firearms.”
As the situation intensifies, the call for increased security measures underscores the mounting challenges faced by Haiti’s government amid a growing wave of violence and unrest.
