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PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille experienced a dangerous encounter with armed gangs Monday when they opened fire at the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH) during his visit to the country’s largest hospital, also known as General Hospital. This incident endangered the lives of the Prime Minister, members of his convoy and journalists present. Conille’s convoy had to quickly flee the area under a flurry of gunfires from the gangs.
Accompanied by the minister of Public Health and Population (MSPP), Brignol Georges Fils, and the director general of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Rameau Normil, the prime minister was secured by Haitian and Kenyan police officers deployed as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS). He was on-site to give CNN reporter Larry Madowo an interview about the situation in the country and at the hospital.
The intense exchanges of gunfire between members of the “Viv Ansanm” gang coalition led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier and the Haitian police, assisted by Kenyan police officers, occurred as the head of the transition government was exiting the hospital facility. The show of force from the gangs transformed the area into a battlefield.
Videos that have gone viral on social media showed Kenyan police officers and journalists seeking refuge in the hospital compound to avoid raining bullets from the gangs. This was the Prime Minister’s second visit to the general hospital since the PNH announced that it had regained control of the building from the gangs.
Haitian police and MSS report no victims as the situation remains tense
In a joint statement, the commander of the multinational force, Gotfrey Otunge, and the director general of the PNH, Rameau Normil, indicated that no deaths or injuries were recorded among law enforcement forces and government officials.
“The hospital is still under the control of the PNH and the MSS contingent,” the two officials said, providing clarifications on the gunshots heard during the prime minister’s visit to the general hospital.
According to Rameau and Otunge, at the end of the interview with CNN, security services heard two gunshots in a neighborhood adjacent to the hospital. However, as Conille was leaving the area, security agents also fired to cover the prime minister’s exit. The prime minister was escorted back to his office.
The officials added that the Haitian police and the Kenyan contingent, accompanying the head of the transition government, returned later and pacified the area after tracing the origin of the gang gunfire.
The prime minister’s office, for its part, has not released any information about the incident or provided an assessment of the situation around the hospital after the shooting. In a post on X, communications officials only indicated that the prime minister had visited the hospital premises and answered questions from several foreign journalists.
Powerful gangs remain in control despite MSS deployment
The Monday incident involving Prime Minister Garry Conille highlights the ongoing security challenges in Haiti. Despite efforts by the Haitian and Kenyan police forces, the situation remains volatile, with gangs continuing to exert control over significant parts of the capital and its surrounding areas. The residents’ plight underscores the urgent need for effective law enforcement and stability in the country.
Over the past month, 400 Kenyan police officers have been deployed to Haiti to bolster PNH operations. Additionally, several changes have occurred within the Haitian police institution, including the appointment of a new director general. The government has also declared a state of security emergency in several communes in the West and Artibonite departments in an effort to reclaim territories controlled by gangs. Despite these measures, a return to stability remains distant.
While gangs continue to defy law enforcement, increasing their chokehold on Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, using bulldozers to raze entire neighborhoods and overwhelming poorly armed police forces, notably with their recent offensive in Gressier, Carrefour and Ganthier, residents in other areas are also continuing to flee their homes under threats. This is the case for some residents in Fort National, Poste Marchand and Bastia in downtown Port-au-Prince.
“I can’t say that I’m leaving the area, as all my belongings are still in the house,” said a resident from the Bastia area on Monday. “Today, I’m going to stay with my sister in Canapé-Vert with my daughter and wife.”
“The hospital is still under the control of the PNH and the MSS contingent.”
Joint Statement of PNH and MSS
This resident, who talked to The Haitian Times anonymously under security concerns, explained that even if he could, he would not be able to move out of the area freely. He had to leave all his belongings in the house with the gangs. Furthermore, he could not spend several days outside the neighborhood controlled by the Bel-Air gangs, led by a notorious leader known as Kempès. He would be seen as a police informant and could lose his life, he said. These armed gangs maintain their grip on the property and lives of residents who have not yet fled the areas.
“In the yard where my house is located, the gangs have already taken three of the five solar panels that powered the houses. Before leaving, they threatened us not to remove the remaining two,” the resident said.
Residents of different municipalities across the country, including Port-au-Prince, say they are impatiently awaiting the start of police operations that can bring order to their neighborhoods. In the first quarter of 2024, around 2,500 people were already killed and injured by gang violence in the country, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Around 600,000 people are already displaced across the country because of gang attacks.
The post Haitian PM Garry Conille escapes gang attack at general hospital appeared first on The Haitian Times.
