Haitian Armed Gangs Prepare for Arrival of Kenyan-Led Foreign Mission
The construction of a wharf in Village de Dieu, a demonstration in Fontamara, mystical rituals in Canaan, concerted calls by bandits for the return of the population to the areas from which they had been driven out… The armed gangs of Haiti are preparing for the arrival of the foreign mission led by Kenya.
In the north of the capital, gang leader Johnson André, known as Izo, is strengthening his operational capacity.
Aerial images obtained by AyiboPost show the construction of a quay in the area, in a context where the base to accommodate the soldiers and police officers dispatched to Haiti is emerging near Toussaint Louverture airport.
Wharf under construction in Village de Dieu, stronghold of the “5 segond” gang led by Johnson (Izo) André. | Photo taken on May 23, 2024/AyiboPost
“Having a greater maritime capacity gives the gang more options to move its soldiers, weapons and drugs,” a foreign expert familiar with the functioning of the gang suspected of transnational trafficking of arms and drugs told AyiboPost.
Also, the armed group probably the richest in the country can generate more money and, according to the expert, have “more agility” in combat.
Northeast of Port-au-Prince, more precisely in Jerusalem, the tension is palpable.
In this shanty town entirely controlled by the so-called Jeff and his henchmen, most of the people killed were disemboweled and their abdomens filled with projectiles, according to several testimonies collected on site by AyiboPost.
The bodies are then stored in a ravine bordering Onaville called “madan hèl”.
The mystical ritual, believed to poison the bullets, requires the bodies to be left at the bottom of the canyon for a month and 21 days.
“Jeff’s men believe that a person’s corpse, when decomposing, produces a deadly liquid,” one of the sources told AyiboPost. “And by letting the ammunition soak in it for a month and 21 days, it will be able to kill its targets. This is even if they are taken to hospital.”
The mystical ritual, believed to poison the bullets, requires the bodies to be left at the bottom of the canyon for a month and 21 days.
Doctor Jean Ardouin Esther Louis-Charles, medical director of the Sanatorium of Port-au-Prince, denies these conclusions which have “nothing scientific”. “It is likely that the munitions left inside the bodies are impregnated with bacteria. But these will not be fatal for all that”, continues the manager.
“If the corpse is, for example, that of a person who had cholera,” he specifies, “it is possible that the cartridges transmit the germs of this disease. On the other hand, the corpse of a person who was not sick is no more dangerous than a living person.”
Other gang leaders thunder a nationalist speech.
On May 10, “Krisla” operating in “Ti bwa” forced thousands of people to take to the streets in the Fontamara district, at the southern entrance to the capital, to demonstrate against the arrival of the foreign mission.
“Only hospitals and health centres were allowed to operate that day,” said a resident of the area contacted by AyiboPost.
The woman said she was present, but requested anonymity for security reasons.
“Besides,” she said, “we are denied the right to listen to the political program with its anti-gang discourse “Ti Koze ak TT”. Krisla’s underlings are ready to do anything to ensure that we do not violate this rule.”
It is likely that the ammunition left inside the bodies is impregnated with bacteria. But these will not be fatal.
– Jean Ardouin Esther Louis-Charles
Several major crime lords are asking the population to return to the areas from which they were driven out.
In Carrefour-Feuilles, the boss Ezéchiel Alexandre invites everyone – with the exception of the police – to return to their respective homes, according to the testimonies of several residents.
“To monitor whether any police officers would try to infiltrate, the bandits set up their base at the Saintus crossroads, then spread control towers throughout the area,” said one of the many people who decided to return to live in this neighborhood.
Read also: Gangs hack PNH communications radios
Jimmy Chérizier, better known as Barbecue, asks the people of Bas Delmas to return home as well.
“The gangs want to use us as human shields in future clashes with the Kenyans,” said a source in these neighborhoods.
Besides, residents cannot come and go as they please.
In Jerusalem, but also in Martissant, several residents confirm to AyiboPost that the gangs forbid anyone from leaving. “If you go out,” says a man from the area, “you must inform one of the subordinates of your return.”
In fact, the father hopes to be able to escape in the coming days.
Adding to his fear of being used as a shield is the increasingly tense atmosphere. “Coming back from church on Thursday, May 16, I heard one of the bandits complaining because he had found no one to kill that morning.”
The gangs want to use us as human shields in future clashes with the Kenyans.
In Siloe, Étienne Descieux says he has noticed a significant drop in shootings.
“Every evening,” he explains, “during the months of February and March, we heard gunfire coming from several places like Pétion-ville, Puits-blain, Caradeux… It could last for hours. But we have been hearing it less and less for several weeks.”
The luthier is convinced that the shooting has decreased because the bandits want to save their ammunition.
The violence does not stop, however.
Convinced that the international mission will come to eradicate them, the gangs have launched a vast operation to destroy public infrastructure. They fear that these buildings could serve as a base for foreign soldiers and police. The Grand Ravin gangs, for example, demolished the Martissant police station on May 22, 2024.
“It was Jimmy Chérizier, leader of the gang coalition called Viv Ansanm, who gave the order,” reveals a source. According to the latter, the police station of Portail Léogâne is also in the crosshairs of the criminals.
Coming back from church last Thursday, May 16, I heard one of the bandits complaining because he had found no one to shoot that morning.
On May 18, 2024, on the occasion of the 221st anniversary of the bicolor, Joseph Wilson, known as “Lanmò san jou”, completely destroyed the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, after having emptied it of its prisoners last March.
In other parts of the country, particularly in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, Savien’s bandits are also preparing. Witnesses tell AyiboPost that armed men tried to destroy the communal police station last week. “They had gone to get heavy equipment from the Artibonite Valley Development Organization (ODVA) in Pont-Sondé,” reports a young man who lives in this commune. But, he continues, “the presence of a police vehicle in Carrefour-Paye dissuaded them.”
According to witnesses, members of the population are beginning to be on alert in case the bandits decide to infiltrate among them to find refuge.
Meanwhile, discussions for the arrival of the multinational force authorized by the United Nations in 2023 are continuing. A base to accommodate the mission’s personnel is being built near Toussaint Louverture International Airport, notes AyiboPost.
Par Rebecca Bruny, Widlore Merancourt, Fenel Pelissier et Wethzer Piercin
Graphic cover showing the main gang leaders of the “Viv Ansanm” coalition. | © Riquemi Perez
Stay in touch with AyiboPost via:
► Our channel Telegram : Click here
► Our Channel WhatsApp : Click here
► Our Community WhatsApp : Click here
