Threat of Civil War in Haiti if Prime Minister Does Not Resign

07-03-2024

Júlia Barreto Reis

International Justice Team Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence

In Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, gangs have overtaken the city, instilling fear amongst the population through acts of violence, and are active in approximately 80% of the capital. These gangs deliberately spread terror amongst the citizens. They utilise videos depicting the atrocious acts committed against kidnapped individuals to hasten the payment of ransoms.

Since the end of February and the beginning of March 2024, Port-au-Prince has been continuously attacked by highly coordinated gangs. These groups are responsible for causing chaos, spreading violence, and orchestrating prison breaks. This criminal activity appears to be a direct challenge to Haiti's unpopular Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. This situation led the Haitian government to declare a state of emergency on March 3rd, 2024.

One of the gang leaders has declared that there will be a civil war should the Prime Minister not resign. The movement is significant enough that these groups are attempting to prevent Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti after a visit to Kenya last week. They are attempting to take control of the capital's airport to block the Haitian authority's landing, but it seems the Prime Minister insists on attempting to return to the country via alternative routes.

The situation is so chaotic that there appears to be international pressure on Ariel Henry to agree to the establishment of a transitional government to calm the situation in Port-au-Prince. However, he has yet to publicly address the situation since chaos ensued.

Haiti has not conducted elections since 2016, and it is argued that this is one of the main motivations for the gangs to seize power, as the absence of elected leaders provides room for this parallel governance.

Haiti is undergoing a significant crisis and in the coming days a statement from the Prime Minister is anticipated. This is accompanied by international pressures for a resolution to be found as soon as possible and in a manner that minimises harm to the Haitian population and the country's democracy.

Sources and further readings:

BBC, 'Haiti gang leader threatens ‘civil war’ if PM does not resign’' (6 March 2024) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68486536 accessed 6 March 2024.

CNN, 'Gang rule Haiti’s capital. Some say they’re ready to overthrow the government too' (5 March 2024) https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/04/americas/haiti-ariel-henry-gangs-protests-bsap-intl-latam/index.html accessed 6 March 2024.

The Guardian, 'US says no troops to Haiti as country reels from explosion of gang violence' (5 March 2024) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/05/haiti-gangs-no-us-troops accessed 7 March 2024.