A State of emergency is declared in Haiti following a mass jailbreak

On Sunday, the government of Haiti declared a 72-hour state of emergency following a violent incident where armed gangs attacked a major prison in Port-au-Prince. The assault resulted in the death of at least 12 individuals and the escape of approximately 4,000 inmates. The armed groups orchestrating the attack seek the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is currently out of the country. These groups have gained control over roughly 80% of Port-au-Prince.

A surge in violent gang wars has claimed thousands of lives in Haiti since 2020. The government, in response to the recent events, labeled them acts of “disobedience” posing a threat to national security. Consequently, an immediate night-time curfew was imposed starting at 20:00 local time. The targeted prisons were located in the capital and the nearby area of Croix des Bouquets.

Among those detained in Port-au-Prince were gang members accused in connection with the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The latest escalation in violence began when Prime Minister Henry traveled to Nairobi to discuss the deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational security force to Haiti. In response, gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, known as “Barbecue,” announced a coordinated attack to remove the prime minister.

“All of us, the armed groups in the provincial towns and the armed groups in the capital, are united,” stated Chérizier, a former police officer linked to several massacres in Port-au-Prince. The police union in Haiti had sought military assistance to reinforce the capital’s main prison, but the compound was stormed on Saturday.

As of Sunday, the prison doors remained open with no signs of officers present. Three inmates attempting to flee were found dead in the courtyard. According to a volunteer prison worker, 99 prisoners, including former Colombian soldiers implicated in President Moïse’s murder, chose to stay in their cells fearing crossfire.

Haiti has been in crisis since the assassination of President Moïse, with ongoing violence, political instability, and delayed elections. A political agreement had set a deadline for elections and the resignation of Prime Minister Henry by February 7, which did not materialize. In January, the UN reported over 8,400 people affected by gang violence in Haiti in 2023, more than double the number in 2022.