Clearly emboldened by the arrival of the first batch of about 400 heavily armed Kenyan police officers, Haitian Prime Minister Gary Conille has demanded that heavily armed gangs which have been terrorizing the CARICOM nation in the past three years put down their weapons or face the consequences.
Jimmy Barbeque Cherizier, the former police officer who is Haiti’s most feared and cruel gangster and blamed for much of the chaos, deaths and fatalities among police officers, now wants to organize dialogue with the nation’s interim council in what is seen as a major victory for the cabinet. In all about 1,000 officers are expected from the East African nation.
“We need dialogue today Mr. Prime Minister. Prove to the world that you can make history as someone who did not contribute to the destruction of the country by distributing guns in the poor neighborhoods but now pacifies the country,” the gangster told journalists this week. “You can be the one who brings peace, retrive the guns, organize elections and set the country on the right path,” he said as Haitian troops arrive in the country and as they get ready to lead a United Nations-backed international peacekeeping mission.
Seemingly unfazed by his call for talks, Conelle spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, inspecting the first batch of Kenyan officers and holding talks with senior Kenyan officials who arrived with the officers. Most of the foreign troops and police personnel who will serve in Haiti, will be housed in accommodations being constructed by American contractors near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport which had been blockaded by gangsters in recent months.
Speaking at a forum, PM Conille said that the time had come for stability as he demanded that “the bandits lay down their guns and recognize the authority of the state before any other arrangements. The state must take responsibility. The state must reclaim its authority and affirm its control. We will start working with the police to plan operations that will allow everyone to resume their activities, return home, and for merchants to go back to their businesses,” as he offered hope about a resumption of normal life. The country has been in an uproar since the July 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moise by hired mercenaries.
The Haitian Times also quoted Conille as saying that the estimated cost of the mission is around $600 million but “only $21 million is available for this multinational mission, whose total cost is estimated at $600 million. We ask all Haitians eager to see concrete actions against gang members to be patient. We are pleased with the deployment of this mission and call for collaboration from all sectors to restore peace and security in Haiti,” he said, reiterating the need for everyone in the community to support this international effort.”
As the mission settles in, it appears that commercial life which had been severely restricted by gangland violence in recent months, is beginning to improve with street side vendors reappearing, some shops reopening and there is evidence of more Haitians on streets in the beleaguered capital.
Additional personnel are expected from The Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize, Suriname, Antigua, Chad, Bangladesh and Benin among others and are expected to total about 2,500.
