Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (2024)

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Heavily armed gangs tried to seize control of Haiti’s main international airport on Monday, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the latest attack on key government sites in an explosion of violence that includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons.

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport was closed when the attack occurred, with no planes operating and no passengers on site.

Associated Press journalists saw an armored truck on the tarmac shooting at gangs to try and prevent them from entering airport grounds as scores of employees and other workers fled from whizzing bullets.

It wasn’t immediately clear as of late Monday whether the attack, which was the biggest one in Haiti’s history involving the airport, was successful.

Last week, the airport was struck briefly by bullets amid ongoing gang attacks, but gangs did not enter the airport nor seize control of it.

The attack occurred just hours after authorities in Haiti ordered a nighttime curfew following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend.

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (1)

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (2)

“The secretary-general is deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs have intensified their attacks on critical infrastructure over the weekend,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

A 72-hour state of emergency began Sunday night. The government said it would try to track down the escaped inmates, including from a penitentiary were the vast majority were in pre-trial detention, with some accused of slayings, kidnappings and other crimes.

“The police were ordered to use all legal means at their disposal to enforce the curfew and apprehend all offenders,” said a statement from Finance Minister Patrick Boivert, the acting prime minister.

Gangs already were estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital. They are increasingly coordinating their actions and choosing once unthinkable targets like the Central Bank.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled to Kenya last week to try to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force to help stabilize Haiti in its conflict with the increasingly powerful crime groups.

Dujarric said the secretary-general stressed the need for urgent action, especially in providing financial support for the mission, “to address the pressing security requirements of the Haitian people and prevent the country from plunging further into chaos.”

Haiti’s National Police has roughly 9,000 officers to provide security for more than 11 million people, according to the U.N. They are routinely overwhelmed and outgunned.

The deadly weekend marked a new low in Haiti’s downward spiral of violence. At least nine people had been killed since Thursday — four of them police officers — as gangs stepped up coordinated attacks on state institutions in Port-au-Prince, including the international airport and national soccer stadium.

But the attack on the National Penitentiary late Saturday shocked Haitians. All but 98 of the 3,798 inmates being held at the penitentiary escaped, according to the Office of Citizen Protection. Meanwhile, at the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, 1,033 escaped, including 298 convicts.

The office said late Monday that it was seriously concerned about the safety of judges, prosecutors, victims, attorneys and others following the mass escape.

It added that it “deplored and condemned the policy of nonchalance” demonstrated by government officials amid the attacks.

Following the raid at the penitentiary, three bodies with gunshot wounds lay at the prison entrance Sunday.

In another neighborhood, the bloodied corpses of two men with their hands tied behind the backs lay face down as residents walked past roadblocks set up with burning tires.

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (3)

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (4)

Among the few dozen people who chose to stay in prison are 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of working as mercenaries in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

“Please, please help us,” one of the men, Francisco Uribe, said in a message widely shared on social media. “They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells.”

Colombia’s foreign ministry has called on Haiti to provide “special protection” for the men.

A second Port-au-Prince prison containing around 1,400 inmates also was overrun.

Gunfire was reported in several neighborhoods in the capital. Internet service for many residents was down on Sunday as Haiti’s top mobile network said a fiber optic cable connection was slashed during the rampage.

After gangs opened fire at Haiti’s international airport last week, the U.S. Embassy said it was halting all official travel to the country. On Sunday night, it urged all American citizens to depart as soon as possible.

The Biden administration, which has refused to commit troops to any multinational force for Haiti while offering money and logistical support, said it was monitoring the rapidly deteriorating security situation with grave concern.

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (5)

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (6)

The surge in attacks follows violent protests that turned deadlier in recent days as the prime minister went to Kenya seeking to move ahead on the proposed U.N.-backed security mission to be led by that East African country.

Henry took over as prime minister following Moise’s assassination and has postponed plans to hold parliamentary and presidential elections, which haven’t happened in almost a decade.

Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, has claimed responsibility for the surge in attacks. He said the goal is to capture Haiti’s police chief and government ministers and prevent Henry’s return.

The prime minister has shrugged off calls for him to resign and didn’t comment when asked if he felt it was safe to come home.

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Associated Press writers Joshua Goodman in Miami and Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites (2024)

FAQs

Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites? ›

Soldiers have been deployed to defend the airport of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, from an assault by armed gangs. Witnesses reported hearing shots ringing out in the vicinity of Toussaint Louverture Airport as security forces clashed with armed men.

What airport did gangs try to take over in Haiti? ›

Soldiers have been deployed to defend the airport of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, from an assault by armed gangs. Witnesses reported hearing shots ringing out in the vicinity of Toussaint Louverture Airport as security forces clashed with armed men.

What happened in Haiti airport? ›

The attacks began on Feb. 29, with gunmen seizing control of police stations, opening fire on the Port-au-Prince airport and storming Haiti's two biggest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates. Gangs since then have directed their attacks on previously peaceful communities, leaving thousands homeless.

How many people have been killed by gangs in Haiti? ›

More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence in Haiti from January through March, up 53% from the last three months of 2023, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) said on Friday. At least 590 were killed during police operations, BINUH said in a report.

Is the capital of Haiti taken over by gangs? ›

In January 2023, 18 police officers were murdered in Port-au-Prince by the Gan Grif gang. This prompted riots organized by the police as well as Fantom 509, a police-allied gang. By March 2023, Haitian officials speculated that up to 90% of the capital was controlled by gangs.

Why no flights to Haiti? ›

Haiti's main international airport and government seaport have been shut down for two months after armed gangs launched a broad assault against the government and key infrastructure, targeting both facilities.

What is Haiti airport called? ›

Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) You can now add favourite airports. Access them in the members area by signing up! Port-au-Prince, Haiti (HT) Medium airport. IATA CodePAP.

Why is Haiti airport closed? ›

Haiti's Port-au-Prince airport has been reopened after being closed for nearly three months after unprecedented gang violence forced it to close, effectively sealing the capital city off from the rest of the world.

Why no travel to Haiti? ›

We continue to advise do not travel to Haiti. The security situation is volatile. Violent crime is common, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, assault, sexual assault and carjacking.

Can I fly into Haiti? ›

Haiti - Avoid all travel

Avoid all travel to Haiti due to the threat posed by kidnappings, gang violence and the potential for civil unrest throughout the country.

What do Haitian gangs want? ›

“Gang leaders talk about liberation and representing the people in order to attract popular support,” cautions Gedeon Jean, a human rights analyst in Port-au-Prince who has tracked the rise in gang kidnappings for years. “But all they want is more power and a state that accommodates their crime.”

Where do Haitian gangs get their guns? ›

An 'iron river' from the United States. The guns Haiti's gangs wield are a mix of stolen and smuggled, and the United States is by far the main source of the latter, according to UN experts.

What is the number 1 cause of death in Haiti? ›

Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in Haiti in 2019. The condition, also known as coronary heart disease, caused around 117 deaths per 100,000 population.

Which country controls Haiti? ›

Haiti is an independent nation in the Caribbean that occupies the western part of the island of Hispaniola, with the Dominican Republic to the east. The island was initially claimed by Spain, which later ceded the western third of the island to France.

What is happening in Haiti in 2024? ›

Clashes between gangs and the Haitian National Police have created a pervasive environment of fear, restricting freedom of movement and access to basic services. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, 2,500, including at least 82 children, have reportedly been killed or injured in gang-related violence.

Who controls Haiti? ›

The government of Haiti is a semi-presidential republic, a multiparty system wherein the President of Haiti is head of state elected directly by popular elections. The Prime Minister acts as head of government and is appointed by the President, chosen from the majority party in the National Assembly.

What gangs control Haiti? ›

Mapping gang controlled areas

Right now, around 23 gangs operate in the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince, have divided into two large coalitions: G-Pèp, led by Gabriel Jean Pierre, also called Ti Gabriel, and the G9 Family and Allies, led by Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue.

What happened in Port-au-Prince? ›

Scores of people have been killed and some 17,000 people overall left homeless since the gang attacks began on Feb. 29, with gunmen targeting police stations and the main international airport that remains closed.

Is Haiti on the no fly list? ›

Haiti - Avoid all travel

Avoid all travel to Haiti due to the threat posed by kidnappings, gang violence and the potential for civil unrest throughout the country.

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