Haiti extends its state of emergency, closing its main port, as US Secretary of State Blinken presses the Prime Minister for an “urgent” transition.
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A man pushes a wheelbarrow past burning tires during a protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP)
On Thursday, amidst escalating violence that gripped the Caribbean nation, Haiti’s primary port was compelled to shut down. Concurrently, the United States urged the absent Haitian prime minister to implement crucial political reforms.
In response to the situation, the Haitian government opted to prolong the state of emergency by an additional month, including the capital. This decision came following the recent jailbreaks that augmented the already substantial forces of gangs, further solidifying their dominion over significant parts of the nation.
Caribbean Port Services, the sole operator of the port in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, cited “deliberate acts of sabotage and vandalism” as the reason for its closure. As a result, the company announced the suspension of all port services.
US calls for ‘intervention’
According to a US official, Secretary of State Antony Blinken conversed with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, stressing the necessity for an “urgent” political transition. Brian Nichols, the senior US diplomat for the Western hemisphere, stated that Blinken emphasized “the urgent need to accelerate the transition to a broader, more inclusive government today” during the discussion.
Speaking at the Council of the Americas trade group, Nichols further elaborated on Blinken’s emphasis on “the need for a more inclusive government that includes many more political forces and has the breadth to take the country through the electoral period.”
Read next: How the US continues to orchestrate chaos in Haiti: UnHerd
Once more, gangs directed their attacks toward the police late on Wednesday by igniting a headquarters in Bas-Peu-de-Chose, a district within the capital. Fortunately, officers managed to evacuate before the assault.
As reported by Haiti’s police union Synapoha, the attack destroyed several police vehicles.
During Prime Minister Henry’s absence abroad last week, criminal groups launched an offensive, starting with an attack on two prisons that facilitated the escape of the majority of inmates.
According to Synapoha, around 10 police stations have been destroyed, and at least 15,000 people fled parts of Port-au-Prince.
Haitian gang leader warns of ‘genocide’
In New York on Wednesday, the UN Security Council convened to address the “critical” situation in Haiti. Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, a notable gang leader in Haiti, has issued a warning of potential civil war and widespread bloodshed unless Prime Minister Henry resigns.
Cherizier delivered these remarks as Prime Minister Henry faced difficulties returning home, as the country’s main airport came under attack by mobs following a refusal of landing permission from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Cherizier, a former police officer under UN sanctions for human rights violations, addressed reporters, stating, “If Ariel Henry doesn’t resign, if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide.” He emphasized the need for Haiti’s fate to be determined by its people rather than a privileged few.
“Either Haiti becomes a paradise or a hell for all of us. It’s out of the question for a small group of rich people living in big hotels to decide the fate of people living in working-class neighborhoods,” Cherizier said.
