- Police used tear gas to disperse protestors.
- Thousands of people in the crisis-torn nation of Haiti took to the streets.
- They protested for the government’s intention to enlist international military aid to stop gang-related violence.
As police used tear gas to disperse protestors, thousands of people in the crisis-torn nation of Haiti took to the streets of Port-au-Prince to protest the government’s intention to enlist international military aid to stop gang-related violence.
Ariel Henry, the prime minister, had requested on Friday “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the “criminal actions” of armed gangs throughout the nation. Protesters on Monday shouted against the “foreign occupation” and demanded Henry’s resignation.
During the rallies, there were reports of several shootings and one fatality. Police were accused by protesters for the tragedy.
“The police committed this crime. No danger was posed by this young girl. She was murdered for wanting to live with dignity, a demonstrator who wished to remain unnamed told AFP.
Another protester alleged that the international world was “interfering in the internal affairs of Haiti” and that the government had “no legitimacy to call for military support,” saying, “We do need help to develop our country, but we don’t need boots [on the ground].”
In order to aid the Caribbean nation of Haiti, which has been struggling with a severe water and fuel scarcity, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for the immediate deployment of a special international force there on Monday.
The US and Canada should take the initiative in organizing a force to combat Haitian gangs, according to the ambassador to the US for Haiti on Monday.
According to Bocchit Edmond, “We hope to see our neighbors like the United States, like Canada, take the initiative and move quickly.”
“The prime minister is under a really serious threat. Another head of state could be assassinated in Haiti if nothing is done immediately, he said, alluding to President Jovenel Moise’s murder in 2021.
On Saturday, the US announced that it was considering Haiti’s request for assistance. On Friday, the foreign ministry of Canada stated that 19 OAS members were dedicated to assisting Haitians in “overcoming the severe security problems facing the country.”
Haiti’s request comes almost a month after one of the most powerful gangs in the country surrounded a crucial fuel terminal in the capital city of Port-au-
Prince, preventing the distribution of more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene and about 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline that were stored there.
Since UN forces were implicated in sexual assault allegations and started a cholera epidemic more than ten years ago that resulted in the deaths of around 10,000 people, many Haitians have condemned the prospect of yet another international involvement.
Josue Merilein, a citizen of Port-au-Prince, argued that the action was against the wishes of the Haitian people and was therefore unlawful.
With only 12,800 active officers in a nation of more than 11 million, Haiti’s National Police has struggled to manage gangs due to its meagre resources and ongoing understaffing.
Haiti, one of the world’s poorest nations, has seen frequent natural disasters and a protracted political crisis that got worse after Moise’s death. Gangs have only gotten stronger since then.
Many Haitians have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Henry, whose government is in an interim position after he postponed an election that was originally slated for November 2021 indefinitely because of the escalating political unrest.
Since the government declared this month that it will reduce fuel subsidies, riots and protests have broken out all throughout Haiti.
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