Gang associates are focusing on a significant area in the capital of Haiti, engaging in a hostile assault that has resulted in residents being confined to their homes due to barricades set on fire and gunfire from automatic weapons.
On Thursday, loud gunshots could be heard in Solino while large plumes of dark smoke filled the sky over this previously tranquil community. Panicked locals reached out to radio stations for assistance.
An unknown caller stated, “If the police don’t arrive, we won’t survive today!”
According to Pierre Esperance from the Human Rights Network RNDDH, there have been approximately twenty deaths reported in the neighborhood since the weekend.
He stated, “The police are not here. There is no visible physical force from the public.” He also mentioned that in other areas, the streets have been blocked by the population in support of Solino.
“I witnessed six corpses on the streets while escaping Solino on Thursday with my teenage nephew,” stated Lita Saintil, who is 52 years old and works as a street vendor.
Gangs set fire to the houses surrounding hers and she was unable to leave her home for hours due to non-stop gunfire.
She expressed her fear, saying, “It is quite frightening at the moment. I am unsure of my destination.”
The identity of the perpetrators was unknown. The population of the community, which is comprised of thousands of individuals, was previously plagued by gangs until a UN peacekeeping operation removed them in the mid-2000s.
However, this attack may be a significant moment for gangs, as they are currently believed to have dominance over 80% of Port-au-Prince and are thought to be responsible for the deaths of approximately 4,000 individuals and the abduction of 3,000 others last year. This has greatly strained the resources of the police in a nation with a population of almost 12 million.
If Solino were to collapse, gangs would be able to easily enter neighborhoods like Canapé Vert, which have remained relatively peaceful and secure thus far.
According to Saintil, the situation in Port-au-Prince has become extremely chaotic. They never imagined that the city would end up like this.
On Thursday, the national police of Haiti stated that they had sent officers to Solino to search for and capture armed individuals who were trying to cause fear among the people. Along with this statement, the police also shared a video, about three minutes long, which showed officers engaging in a gunfight with unknown assailants from a rooftop in Solino.
On Thursday, neighboring towns started building blockades with rocks, trucks, tires, and even banana trees in order to stop gangs from coming in.
A man standing near a barricade in Canapé Vert stated that he had been monitoring the protests that were arranged earlier this week by followers of ex-rebel chief Guy Philippe. Philippe has promised a revolution to remove gangs from the area.
The man, who chose not to reveal his identity, expressed that Haiti’s crisis is causing even more suffering and has led to a state of lawlessness in the country.
Fearing that the violence in Solino may spread to nearby areas, parents hurried to schools throughout Port-au-Prince to retrieve their children.
One unnamed mother expressed concern about returning home due to the lack of public transportation and widespread tire fires. She is unsure of what they will do in this situation.
Haiti is anticipating the arrival of a foreign military group, headed by Kenya, to assist in suppressing gang violence. This deployment was authorized by the UN Security Council in October.
A decision is anticipated from a Kenyan judge on 26 January concerning a current injunction preventing deployment.
reporting,
According to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters,
Source: theguardian.com
