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Situation in Haiti
- A brutal attack took place in the commune of Gressier on Sunday 30 June by a gang coalition entitled “103 Zombie”. 25 people were killed and numerous were kidnapped during the attack. Since the attack, gangs control 75% of the commune and around 23,000 have fled the area.
- Among those kidnapped in the attack was Father Emmanuel Saintéliat, the parish priest of Saint John the Baptist Church. He has since been released.
- A second attack on the Saint-Charles police station in Carrefour on 5 July led to the murder of two police officers and one civilian.
- Gang attacks have increased in neighbourhoods of Bel-Aire and downtown Port-au-Prince, with regular gunshots being heard in the metropolitan area. In the outskirts of Les Palmes, attacks, burning down of public buildings and homes, assassinations and theft have been ongoing.
- The Haitian National Police Force (PNH) together with Kenyan officers were able to retake the general hospital in Port-au-Prince, which had been used by gangs as a hostage zone, on 7 July.
- Members of the gang “400 Mawozo” have barricaded the National road #8 in Croix-des-Bouquets with containers welded together.
- In the city centre of Croix-des-Bouquets, gang members have undertaken renovations, after having attacked and burned down buildings including police stations and the town hall as recently as the end of June.
- The chief of the PNH, Rameau Normil, stated that police operations to retake areas from the gangs are being prepared, but could not go into detail for strategic reasons.
- Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, aka Barbecue, released a video calling for a dialogue, stating “We are ready to elect a credible and coherent Haitian citizen in the diaspora to facilitate the dialogue to end this mafia war and facilitate the road to peace in the country”.
- He further states, addressing the prime minister, Garry Conille: “Prove to the world that you can make history as someone who did not contribute to the destruction of the country by distributing guns in poor neighbourhoods, but who now pacifies the country”.
- Chérizier urged Conille to facilitate a national dialogue in which every Haitian’s voice could be heard. Conille agreed to holding talks, whilst emphasising that victims of the gangs need justice.
- He added that if the gangs saw that PM Conille was leading the country the right way, they would stay out of his way and let him lead the country.
- The Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), Pierre Espérance, believes that people in Conille’s entourage are complicit with gangs and motivated the prime minister to accept the invitation to hold dialogues with gang leaders.
- There have been tensions between the Prime Minister and the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), largely due to the trip to the United States that the Prime Minister undertook, which members of the CPT felt had not been briefed well enough to the council.
- The largest foreign bank in Haiti, City, has announced that they will be closing their offices in the country due to a decrease in international activity.
- A sanitation campaign was started last week in the city centre of Port-au-Prince to clean-up the streets. The campaign is a private initiative supported by members of the private sector, members of the CPT and of the government.
- Large cleaning efforts are also being carried out in Pétion-ville, Tabarre, Cité Soleil and Cap-Haïtien.
- In May, 27,000 Haitians were repatriated by the Dominican Republic.
- Hurricane Beryl, a category 5 storm, passed by Haiti last week, leading to flooding and inflicting damage along the southern coast of Haiti.
Situation on the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission
- It is still unclear when the second contingency of Kenyan troops will arrive in Haiti. It had originally been said that they would quickly follow the first contingency, which arrived 2 weeks ago on 25 June.
- A plane from the United States with equipment for the MSS landed in Port-au-Prince over the weekend, carrying armoured vehicles, among other things.
- Kenyan troops started patrolling the streets alongside the PNH. They were seen in the streets of Port-au-Prince, at the National Port, and patrolling the US embassy in the capital.
- The Dominican Republic has stated that they will contribute to the MSS with medical assistance.
International situation
- Chinese and Russian diplomats called on the US to combat the illegal flow of weapons into Haiti during the United Nations Security Council meeting. The US ambassador retorted that the US is actively working on enforcing the arms embargo, with among others, a new e-tracing agreement.
Links of interest
Over 25 killed and many kidnapped by gangs in Gressier, Haiti
Gressier Faces Bandit Terror, Palmes Region Under Threat
Gangs Control “75% of Gressier”
Haitian priest freed following kidnapping in wartorn nation
Gang attacks have increased in neighbourhoods of Bel-Aire and downtown Port-au-Prince, with regular gunshots being heard in the metropolitan area.
Deux semaines après l’arrivée du premier contingent de la Mission multinationale…
Croix-des-Bouquets : Les bandits du gang « 400 mawozo » barricadent solidement la nationale #8
Rameau Normil’s Message to Gangs: “Playtime Is Over”
Gang Leader Barbecue Proposes to Lay Down Arms & Begin National Dialogue
‘Barbecue’ in dialogue plea as Kenyan police arrive in Haiti
Complicity with gangs in the P.M.’s entourage ?
USA Trip: Clarifying the Tension Between the Prime Minister’s Office and the CPT
La dernière banque étrangère établie en Haïti et un acteur du micro crédit mettent la clé sous la porte
Downtown Port-au-Prince Undergoes Sanitation Campaign Despite Security Issues
« La campagne de nettoyage du centre-ville de Port-au-Prince est une initiative privée », selon Magalie Habitant
Pétion-ville : Cleaning and sanitation work
Cap-Haïtien : Major cleaning of the market
27,000 Haitians repatriated from DR
Haiti – Hurricane Beryl : Situation report #1 (official)
UN urges international solidarity as Hurricane Beryl devastates Caribbean islands
US military equipment and supplies arrive in Haiti
Haiti – FLASH : First Kenyan patrol in the streets of Port-au-Prince (Video)
Haiti – Politic : Dominicans will support the Mission in Haiti
China & Russia Raise Concern as Haiti Gangs Illegally Obtain Firearms From US to Fight Kenyan Police
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