Armistice in Haiti after a week of gang conflicts

Pierre Esperance, coordinator of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights, told Haiti newspaper that the guerrilla leaders agreed to a ceasefire after recording an increase in the death toll.

Esperance revealed that at least 70 people were killed during the hostilities, of whom 20 were burned alive and 50 disappeared, and at the same time, he lamented that no government institution was willing to take care of the victims.

And although he referred to the intervention of the police to help his colleagues in Solino, who are besieged by the Sanon Kempes gang, the human rights defender denounced that the government did nothing to prevent the escalation of tensions.

For Esperance, the behavior of the authorities is another sign of the intention to implement the deployment of foreign forces in the Caribbean country under the pretext of controlling armed groups.

Today, more than half of the capital is controlled by gangs who extort, kidnap, and kill ordinary citizens, state officials, merchants, and more.

Several schools in the Capital Region have announced the suspension of face-to-face classes as a result of the violence in the areas where the schools are located.

Also the day before, MSF announced the temporary closure of its hospital in Cité Soleil, north of Port-au-Prince, to protect the safety of staff and patients.

“We are witnessing war scenes a few meters away from our facilities. Our hospital was not a direct target, but we were a collateral casualty of the fighting, because the hospital is on the front lines,” said Vincent Harris, a doctor with the organization.

Meanwhile, the number of kidnappings has skyrocketed with more than 150 recorded by human rights organizations so far this year.

Even the Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued two statements this week reminding residents that they can defend themselves if someone violently breaks into their homes, while threatening to arrest and restrict the rights of those who carry out extortion.

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