The Haitian government is behind a significant police operation in a Port-au-Prince shantytown ruled by the formidable gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue.” Several gang members have reportedly lost their lives in the Lower Delmas region as part of this effort. Military drones equipped with explosives are reportedly being deployed during the operation, which has received endorsement from Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. He attributed the success of this assault to a specialized task force recently established to combat the surge of insecurity in the area.

Jimmy Chérizier, at 47, is at the helm of Viv Ansam (“Live Together”), a coalition of gangs that exert influence over large parts of the city. Whether Kenyan police officers, who arrived in Haiti last year to assist in stemming gang activity, are participating in this security operation remains unclear. Recently, a Kenyan police officer from the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission was fatally shot during an encounter with gang members.

The pervasive control of gangs over Port-au-Prince has crippled the rule of law, led to the breakdown of health services, and invoked a serious food security crisis. In 2024, gang violence accounted for the deaths of over 5,500 individuals, and forced more than a million people to leave their homes. Progress by Haiti’s transitional presidential council, the governing body tasked with restoring democratic processes, has been glacial — with long-awaited elections still pending.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78ejpvdlezo