In the relatively affluent Petion-Ville area of Port-au-Prince, many bodies are discovered after gang threats.
As heavy gunfire approached the national palace and erratic firing filled the streets of Haiti’s capital, panic spread throughout downtown Port-au-Prince.
Three weeks after Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister without a replacement, the Reuters news agency witnessed civilians scrambling to flee gunfire in the capital on Monday, where gangs are fighting for control of turf and the state is mainly absent.
In the relatively affluent Petion-Ville area of the city, which has been besieged by gangs, four more bodies were discovered dead on Monday.
In the meantime, gunmen in the city center took an armored car from palace guards.
Amidst rioting in the Delmas sector of the city, at least one additional person was shot and killed.
Three days prior, a sizable industrial park was reportedly set on fire, according to the media.
With gang alliances fighting for control of several areas of the capital and attacks on the airport and main port obstructing access to essential products, Haiti has been experiencing an increasingly severe war.
Threats, internal strife, and resignations have impeded the process since Henry’s March 11 announcement of his resignation, which was contingent upon the appointment of an interim presidential council and replacement.
Despite his announcement that the council, which was suggested by leaders of the region gathered in Jamaica, would be formally established in two days, this has not happened, leading to requests for an alternative transition strategy.
The Canadian military had earlier stated that its soldiers would train about 330 Caribbean troops over the course of a month in preparation for deployment to Haiti. Over the weekend, Jamaica’s military reported that troops had arrived from the Bahamas and Belize to participate in a training exercise known as Trogon Shield with Canada.
The evacuation process is ongoing
As the US and other countries continue to evacuate their residents and fortify their borders against migrants and refugees, Dennis Hankins, the next US ambassador to Haiti, arrived in the nation on Monday.
34 of Mexico’s citizens were reportedly evacuated from Haiti on a military vessel.
At a press conference, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena stated that the evacuees were citizens of Haiti and included seven youngsters and four diplomatic staff.
“A very special operation was required in which the naval vessel sailed to waters near Haiti and rescued these 34 compatriots, who are already on their way back,” she stated.
Because Port-au-Prince airport was closed, the authorities displayed pictures of the Mexicans boarding a helicopter to be transported to the ship.
In the midst of the continuous unrest, Canada also declared the extension of its emergency program to remove vulnerable individuals from Haiti.
Henry demanded in 2022 the creation of an international security force to supplement Haiti’s inadequately equipped police force, but little has happened in spite of the UN ratifying the force six months prior.
According to a UN study released last week, more than 1,500 people were killed in the first three months of 2024, and almost 60 of those deaths were caused by vigilante groups operating in areas with low police presence.
The report advocated for increased efforts to restrict the flow of firearms, primarily from the United States, into the Caribbean nation and cautioned against the continued recruitment of children into gangs.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
