PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Dramatic scenes unfolded on the streets of Port-au-Prince Monday morning, highlighting the ongoing struggle for control in Haiti’s capital.
As gangs continue to assert their dominance, a small part of the city remains free from their grasp, sharing the deepening frustration of residents and their growing impatience with Haiti’s national police and new Prime Minister Garry Conille.
A new chapter in Haiti was meant to begin with the arrival of a multinational police force and Conille’s new role. However, just a few months into his term, Conille is confronting increased chaos and limited progress against violent gangs.
Conille canceled a scheduled interview to address “a few emergencies,” including a large protest that occurred Monday morning.
6 p.m. report:
Gangs are reportedly recruiting young people, including children, according to local sources. One witness showed the scene where victims of gang violence were burned and left in the streets.
Despite the turmoil, some residents in pockets of Port-au-Prince have organized resistance against the gangs.
Genie, a local resident too fearful to appear on camera, has been living away from her home since gangs overtook her neighborhood in April on 25.
She described the grim reality of navigating the city’s dangerous landscape to Local 10′s Calvin Hughes.
“There are only certain routes we can travel in Port-au-Prince,” said Genie. “We have bulletproof cars and security with rifles. One of our SUVs looks like it has already been tested with gunfire.”
Forced out of her downtown location by gang violence, another resident told Local 10 that she now sells clothes on a street corner, trying to make a living amid the chaos.
In response to the escalating violence, Kenyan troops were deployed in June as part of a multinational police force. However, their presence was notably absent on the streets Monday, with only national police officers stationed at key intersections and street corners.
Genie said she has lost hope for Haiti’s future as the multinational police seem ill-equipped to effectively combat the increasingly unified and ruthless gangs.
Local 10 sources say the multinational police don’t have the necessary equipment to fight and win against these gangs who have recently come together.
Conille, who took office amid the crisis, has been vocal about the need to restore control over the country.
In a July interview with Hughes, he underscored the urgency of reclaiming territory from gangs to facilitate free and fair elections by 2026.
The situation in Port-au-Prince underscores the profound challenges facing Haiti as it grapples with escalating violence and instability.
Conille believes that the resilience of the Haitian people is crucial for turning the country around and realizing the promise of a new day in Haiti.
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