Haiti's capital paralysed by gunfire as gang boss threatens police chief and ministers

Source: The Guardian (UK)

Heavy gunfire paralyzed Haiti’s capital on Thursday as a powerful gang leader warned he would try to capture the country’s police chief and government ministers.

The move came during the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is in Kenya trying to finalize details for the deployment of a foreign armed force to Haiti to help combat gangs.

Gunmen shot at Haiti’s main international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that caught many people by surprise, forcing businesses, government agencies and schools to close early as parents and young children fled through the streets in panic. At least one airline, Sunrise Airways, suspended all flights.

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There are currently no elected officials in Haiti, with Henry sworn in as prime minister with the backing of the international community shortly after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/29/haiti-capital-port-au-prince-gang-leader