Gangs are on the verge of taking over Haiti

Haiti seems to be on the verge of complete collapse. In the past few days, the country’s gangs – which already controlled 80 per cent of the capital city of Port-au-Prince – have waged a serious assault against the government while the de facto prime minister Ariel Henry is in Kenya.

On Saturday there was a mass prison break, with around 5,000 former prisoners on the loose, some of them notorious gang leaders. Just in the past few days, there have been attacks against police stations, the port, the police academy, border force officials and the international airport. Threats have been made against the state hospital, which was forced to close, and the national palace. US based airlines have suspended all flights in and out of Haiti. Domestic flights that operate in the country have also been curtailed.

At the same time, the few remaining neighbourhoods in Port-au-Princethat aren’t controlled by gangs are now experiencing a violent attempt at occupation.  This is being led by the G9 gang alliance, headed by the flamboyant and loquacious Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer who is behind much of the violence in the capital.